Panaji: After being cancelled twice in the past, two major state government projects, the redevelopment of the Sanjivani Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Limited (SSSK) at Dharbandora and the proposed international convention centre at Dona Paula, have attracted renewed interest from private bidders under the public-private partnership model. Together, the two projects are estimated to cost about Rs 700 crore, reports The Times of India.
Companies have shown interest, with four bidders coming forward for the sugar factory redevelopment and five expressing interest in the convention centre project. The interested firms also took part in the pre-bid meeting.
The international convention centre project was re-tendered nearly two years after it was last scrapped. The proposed complex, planned on a 34,000 square metre site at Dona Paula, will include a four-screen multiplex with a total seating capacity of at least 800 and a convention hotel with a minimum of 300 rooms. Designed to cater to meetings, conferences and exhibitions, the project is valued at Rs 570 crore, with mandatory facilities estimated to cost Rs 540 crore. The concept for the project was based on a study carried out by property consultancy Knight Frank in November 2020.
The state government had earlier issued requests for proposals for the convention centre on two occasions. In December 2020, two bids were received and a letter of award was issued to the selected bidder. However, this was cancelled the following month after the bidder failed to submit the required performance security of Rs 16.2 crore. A case was later registered with the Goa police crime branch after it was found that a fake bank guarantee had been submitted.
A second attempt in May 2022 attracted five bids, and another letter of award was issued. This too was cancelled in July 2023 after the bidder failed to fulfil key conditions, including setting up a special purpose company and providing the mandatory performance security.
The redevelopment of the Sanjivani Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana is estimated to cost Rs 130 crore. The state government decided to modernise the factory and set up an ethanol plant under the PPP model, following which tenders were floated in October 2022 and again in January 2024. While two companies responded during the first attempt, both bids were rejected for failing to meet technical requirements. No bids were received during the second round.
In May 2022, the government announced plans to redevelop SSSK, the only sugar factory in Goa, which is more than 50 years old. A 21-member committee led by NRI Commissioner and former MP Narendra Sawaikar was formed to study the issue. The panel recommended increasing sugarcane production, upgrading the factory with modern technology, shifting focus towards ethanol production, and encouraging the setting up of jaggery units.
