Ahead of Maha Kumbh, ‘floating restaurant’ to come up on Yamuna in Prayagraj

Floating restaurant: Maha Kumbh is still two years away. Ahead of the world’s biggest religious congregation, the Uttar Pradesh government issued a tender on Monday for a unique “floating restaurant”. The fully air-conditioned first-of-its-kind restaurant with an additional open-air facility will come up on the Yamuna river in Prayagraj.

Ahead of the Maha Kumbh, the government also floated a tender for setting up a water sports facility in Prayagraj.

Promoting religious tourism

The tenders are a part of the state Tourism Development Corporation’s push to boost the state’s economy by promoting tourism in religious places like Prayagraj, Ayodhya, Mathura, and Varanasi.

“After the Kashi Vishwanath corridor was developed in Varanasi, we saw not only a huge rise in the number of tourists but also an increase in the sale of local products. Therefore, tourist attractions like these would boost the local economy,” said Principal Secretary (Tourism) Mukesh Meshram.

Both projects —floating restaurant and water sports facility — are based on Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. The developers have 120 days to complete the projects, according to the tender document. The e-tender will open on February 15.

The government will offer up to 30 per cent subsidy on capital investment under the existing policy to make the project viable for the private investor.

Glass walls, water sports facility

As per the tender document, the restaurant will have a floating structure of 12 metre x 8 metre. It will have glass walls and will float next to Hotel Triveni Darshan, which is run by the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation.

The floating will have water sports facilities, comprising floating jetty, four power speed boats with a capacity of 6 passengers each, two mini-cruise or party boats with a capacity of 33 passengers.

The estimated cost of the two projects is nearly Rs 450 crore — Rs 243 crore (floating restaurant), and Rs 200 crore (water sports facility), according to the tender document. “It will be on the concept of “flotal”, with not just a floating restaurant but also water sports activities. The developer will design and implement the project at its own expense, and the government will provide subsidy to make the project viable,” said Meshram.

Also Read: Bigg Boss 16 fame Tina Datta calls Shalin Bhanot ‘aggressive’: ‘He tried to hit me once’

Keep watching our YouTube Channel ‘DNP INDIA’. Also, please subscribe and follow us on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and TWITTER