CM confirms Hotel Imphal 'hand-over'
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 02 2013 : Along with advising officials concerned for ensuring adequate supply of water and power to Hotel Im-phal, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh said that Classic Hotel management would be temporarily entrusted to speed up the renovation works.

Speaking to newspersons on the sidelines of personally taking stock of the renovation works of Hotel Imphal near North AOC ahead of the San-gai Tourism Festival today, he advised engineering officials accompanying him to make necessary arrangement for adequate supply of water and power to Hotel Imphal, where delegates for the upcoming festival would be put up.

Regarding classic Hotel management entrusted to speed up the ongoing renovation works, the CM confided that even though the Classic Hotel takeover is on temporary basis at the juncture, follow-up measures for further upgrading of Hotel Im- phal on public private partnership model necessary open tender would be floated at a later period.

Classic Hotel is a venture of Babina Healthcare and Hospitality Industries Pvt Ltd, whose managing director is Dr Th Dhabali.

Officials briefing the CM on Hotel Imphal renovation works

Stating that a number of Indian as well as foreign dignitaries and tourists would be arriving in the State for the annual tourism festival for which renovation work of Hotel imphal is being undertaken, Ibobi informed that for further renovation works of the said Hotel, classic Hotel management would be engaged for a six month period.

In case Classic Hotel management could not make successful bid during the open tender, expenditure made by the private undertaking for the current renovation works of Hotel Imphal would be refun-ded to Classic Hotel manage- ment, clarified the CM.

While top delegates from Myanmar have confirmed participation in the upcoming festival, relevant process is underway for the visit by top representatives of the Chinese Government, he said while conveying that availability of accommodation at classic Hotel, Hotel Nirmala and Anand Continental would be assessed at the earliest as the Government is determined to ensure proper accommodation to all the domestic and foreign tourists who would be arriving for the festival.

The CM also took stock of the Hotel imphal room renovation works in addition to assessing condition of the two lifts capable of carrying 6 persons at a time from the ground level to the second floor as well as the hotel's garden and out-houses.

Ministers of Commerce and Industries Govindas Konthoujam, Works Dr Kh Ratankumar and PHE I He-mochandra, Parliamentary Se- cretary for Tourism and YAS M Prithviraj, Chief Secretary PC Lawmkunga, Prin- cipal Secretary (Comm & Ind), CEs of Power, PHED and PWD, MOBC director, Dr Th Dha-bali and other officials also accompanied the CM.

Mention may be made that Government's plan to upgrade Hotel Imphal to a 5-Star hotel had evoked strong objections from residents near the Hotel after the Govt carried out eviction drives, rendering many homeless.