WBTDC to issue LoI for river cruise project

Kolkata: West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDC) is planning to issue letter of intent (LoI) for the Rs 130 crore river cruise project by the end of this month, besides developing ghats along the Ganga as well as upgrading existing river cruise vessels.

WBTDC will have less than 50 per cent stake the public private partnership (PPP) project on behalf of the state government.

The entire project would be executed over four years, said T V N Rao, managing director, West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation(WBTIDC).

Nearly, 50 per cent of the work is expected to be completed within the next two years, Rao informed. The exact route for the cruise is yet to be decided.
It would be between Kolkata and Farakka which is over 300 kilometers upstream from Kolkata, and also down up to Sunderbans.

Besides, WBTDC is all set to revamp 11 ghats along the 260 kilometer stretch on the Ganga from Kolkata to Azimgunge in Murshidabad at a cost of Rs 21 crore.

The project is funded by the Centre, and the Corporation has already received the funds and work is to start soon.