Kochi: The Cochin Port Trust that had floated tenders for the 10 cents of land where the India Tourism building is situated, has floated tenders for seven more plots/buildings owned by it on Willingdon Island. The buildings include Parry and Co warehouse and Cochin Shipping warehouse building. They are to be given on 30 year lease like the India Tourism building and plot.
The Cochin Shipping warehousing building is situated on 35.66 cents of land on Marar Road while the Parry and Co warehouse is situated on 74.1 cents of land on Indira Gandhi Road. The other buildings are Tea Estate Representation Building warebouse on 17.83 cents of land on Cross Road of KPK Menon Road, BSNL Exchange warehouse on 64.96 cents of land on Perumanoor Jetty Road, Janatha Traders warehouse on 53.50 cents of land on G V Iyyer Road, Premier Tyres commercial building on 136.4 cents of land on Milne Road and Officers Club hospitality building on 21 cents of land on Bristow Road. According to former Mayor K.J. Sohan most of these buildings were built in the 1950s and 60s. The tenders which opened on June 4 closed on July 4. There is both technical and price bids and the bids are likely to be finalised in two months.
Meanwhile it is learnt that CPT is having second thoughts on forcing the India Tourism out of the building on Malabar Road with the reports reaching the Central Government. However, it is also said that CPT may give some more time to India Tourism to shift out of the present premises than the two months originally given. CPT is learnt to have given few more choices of premises under its occupation for India Tourism to shift.
There is a thinking in the tourism industry that India Tourism office can be shifted to either Fort Kochi or Mattancherry to support tourists coming there which are considered the main spots. However, another section argues that this will hit the cruise tourism that is catching up in a big way in Kochi. The Union Tourism Ministry has not taken up its call on the issue.
