After Kolkata, it is Siliguri's turn to receive a mall-multiplex-hotel-entertainment zone.

Bengal Ambuja is investing Rs 200 crore to build a mall-hotel in Siliguri, in the name of City Centre, on the model of its namesake Rajarhat in Kolkata.

"Siliguri is a point of convergence and enjoys heavy tourist inflow. We are therefore planning to build several hill-stop hotels and mall hotels in Siliguri," said Harsh Neotia, Bengal Ambuja's managing director.

Like Rajarhat's City Centre II, Siliguri's mall hotel would house 4-levels of mall, one level of multiplex, hotel and banquets, and 2 levels of hotels. The boutique hotel, with easy shopping and entertainment, 100-150 well appointed rooms, fine dining restaurants, 24-hour coffee shop, rooftop banquets for large gatherings, would be a 3-star, rates of which have not yet been fixed, Neotia informed.

It would also have a business centre of 3 lakh sq. ft for corporate offices.

Siliguri's City Centre, however, is expected to be 1.5 to 2 times bigger than City Centre II in Rajarhat with the latter being built on 5 acre with an investment of Rs 150 crore.

Bengal Ambuja is also building a similar mall-hotel City Centre in Haldia at an estimated investment of Rs 150 crore which would be spread over 5 acre.

Both City Centres in Siliguri and Haldia would house a 4-screen Inox, like City Centre in Salt Lake and City Centre II in Rajarhat.

Bengal Ambuja is also building a 600-acre township called Uttorayan at Siliguri at a cost of over Rs 500 crore.

Uttorayan is Siliguri's first satellite township that was developed after uprooting the Chandmoni tea garden in 2003.

Uttorayon would also house a 200-bed hospital with 50:50 collaboration with Elvit Imaging, an Israel-based company. This is for the first time that such a venture has been planned for north Bengal.

Source : Business Standard (Pradipta Mukherjee)