By Rumu Banerjee  timesofindia.indiatimes.com
After malls and restaurants, Delhi Metro is now getting into the entertainment business. In a first for Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), it is inviting proposals for the construction of a theme park spread over 15 hectares near Shastri Park.
The tender for the RFP (request for proposal) was floated earlier last week. It is expected to come up by the end of the year, said Delhi Metro sources.
The amusement park, which will come up on “O” zone – which doesn’t allow the construction of any permanent structures or banquet/drive-in cinema halls – will enable Delhi Metro to no only utilize the land properly but also earn some much-needed revenue.
Said a DMRC spokesperson, “Since the land is in zone “O”, we wanted to develop it in such a way that utilization could be based on temporary structures. A theme park seemed like a good idea.”
The plot, which is on the south-west side of the Shastri Park station, abutting the Metro depot, will be leased for a period of 15 years to the chosen developer. “The theme park will provide state-of-the-art environment-friendly recreational facilities for children and families with emphasis on social growth in the vicinity,” added the DMRC official.
It will also generate for DMRC an upfront and recurring revenue. The non-refundable entry licence fee for the park is a healthy Rs 5 crore plus service tax, as well as an annual fee that will be decided once the developer is fixed.
DMRC officials added that since the land is near the station, the theme park will be easily accessible to the commuters. It will come up in a plush green environment with trees around and other activities. Revenue from commuters using the Metro services to access the theme park is an additional source of income for the Delhi Metro.
Said the DMRC spokesperson, “The theme park is part of Delhi Metro’s initiatives to raise resources for funding the Metro operations through non-fare revenues.”
Delhi Metro officials said that if the scheme was successful, it may look at further such plans in future. “But that will depend on the fact that we have such a large tract of land to lease out in phase III of the network,” added the official.
As per the RFP, while the theme park will be leased out for 15 years, DMRC holds the right to extend the lease by five years, subject to mutual agreement. The developer, however, will be liable to get all clearances from fire, police and land development authorities to run the park. DMRC officials added that since work on the park would start within a month of deciding the developer, it should become a reality soon.
The theme park will have environment-friendly recreation facilities for children and families. As it is near the Metro station it will be easily accessible
