A decision has been taken to resume construction of a five-star hotel at the Bekal Resort Development Corporation (BRDC) resort site at Malankunnu in Uduma panchayat. The move is expected to boost the tourism sector which has been hit hard by the pandemic.
Globe Link Hotels and Entertainment Private Limited, which has entered into a tie-up with another company, has paid off the entire lease arrears of around ₹4 crore to the BRDC.
According to BRDC officials, work on the project began 14 years ago. But for various reasons, it got stalled, and the project could not be resumed by the company which had obtained land for a 30-year lease. The company had agreed to pay ₹33 lakh every year as lease. It was also decided to revise the lease every 10 years.
Since the company has paid the entire arrears, work will soon resume, BRDC officials said. It has already invested around ₹65 crore on the project, which includes a 150-room star hotel complex, convention centre, and spa. The resort site on 30 acres overlooks the Bekal Beach.
Bekal gained global attention in 1992 when the Centre declared it as a Special Tourism Area.
The Bekal Resort Development Corporation (BRDC) was set up by the State government in 1995 to set up tourism infrastructure and world-class facilities for visitors. Accordingly, 235 acres were acquired, and 40 acres each were leased to six companies in the four panchayats of Pallikkara, Chemmanad, Uduma, and Ajanur.
Besides the construction of several roads to the project site by the government, the 7-MLD water project in the four panchayats is part of the planned tourism project.
However, the Kolavayal resort project in Ajanur was abandoned due to coastal law.
The project, once completed, is expected to provide direct and indirect employment to nearly one lakh people.
