Monorail, oceanarium on paper for four years

Chennai: World class Oceanarium at Mamallapuram near Chennai, Global investors meet - 2018 and the much hyped monorail project all announced by late chief minister J. Jayalalithaa continue to face hurdles.

These key projects aimed to alleviate the status of Chennai in global platform continue to be behind schedule.

According to confidential government sources, the oceanarium is likely to face slow death as there is no breakthrough in the project for the past three years.

Orders were passed two years ago to establish a world-class oceanarium at a cost of Rs 258 crore under public private partnership (PPP) mode at Mamallapuram near Chennai and Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) and fisheries departments were roped in for the 13-acre project.

After several studies by a Mumbai based consultant to conduct techno commercial feasibility study and transaction advisory services, detailed concept and related entertainment facilities were finalised. Although global tenders were called twice, bidders did not qualify in the bidding process. Subsequently, the revision in the request for qualification (RFQ) document was made and a third re-tender called was called last month, sources explained.

Monorail, a pet project of Jayalalithaa, is also pending for the past five years. According to transport department sources, the share of public transport in Chennai is currently 27 per cent, which is eventually proposed to be increased to 104 per cent by 2026, but again this project has been there in the annual policy note for the past three years, but no progress at the field.

This project is to be implemented under Public Private Partnership on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) basis with an estimated cost of Rs 3,267 crore but even after four years the project is a non-starter, sources added.