Twenty hoteliers 'opt out' of Games project

As many as 20 hoteliers have "opted out" of the Commonwealth Games hotel project putting severe strain on the government's preparedness to provide accommodation to guests of the upcoming mega sporting event.
    
Aimed at providing 40,000 rooms during the Games, the DDA has auctioned 33 hotel plots here to as many hoteliers.
    
Of the total hoteliers who bagged the project, 20 have not completed even 30 per cent of ground work and they were considered to have opted out, a senior tourism ministry official said.

It was evident after the tourism ministry prepared a status report which showed many big companies after taking over the plots have not yet completed even 30 per cent work.

"For example, Amar Hospitality which was to construct a 512-room hotel in Shahadara, is moving at a snail's pace and there are not much activity on the ground. For us, they have opted out of the Games project," the official said.
    
Similarly, Asrani Inns is yet to make any headway in constructing two hotels with 375 rooms at Wazirpur. The 219-room hotel at Rohini by Breaze Constructions is also delayed and the government is firmly ruling out its inclusion.
    
Work progress of Anush, which was given land in Shahadara for construction of a 136-room hotel, is tardy. Even 30 per cent work is not completed here as per the status report.

IFCI Ltd was given land in Mayur Vihar for building a hotel with 91 rooms, Sewa Hotel was to come up with 72 rooms in Pitampura and Brilliant committed to construct 138 rooms at Shalimar Bagh. The ministry has put these rooms in doubtful category after their work almost stopped.

The opting out of majority of the hoteliers has resulted in shortage of about 5,000 proposed rooms.
    
While some hoteliers have cited fund crunch due to the global meltdown for the delay, others have given procedural wrangles and floor area ratio among the reasons for developing cold feet in completing the hotel projects before the Games, the official said.

Construction major DLF, which was to build 800 rooms at Dwarka City, according to the status paper, is way behind schedule.

Same is the case with the Emaar MGF which was supposed to come up with 122 rooms at Jasola but their rooms have now been put under doubtful category.

DJ Infrastructure has got land at central Delhi in Motia Khan to construct a 190-room hotel. But only 20 per cent work has been completed till date the project is being ruled out from the Commonwealth Games project.
   
However, the official said, "We are going ahead with the alternative plan without depending on these hotels."
    
As per the alternative plan, there will be 10,268 rooms from new hotels, about 11,000 rooms from guest houses, 3,000 rooms from the Bed and Breakfast scheme and 5,500 rooms from DDA housing units besides the 10,150 rooms already available.