10 hrs ago
PCMC Extends Appu Ghar Contract 15 Years Amid Rent Questions
Appu Ghar is an amusement park on civic land in Pimpri-Chinchwad.
The municipal corporation has allowed the current operator to run it for 15 more years.
The operator will pay about ₹8 lakh in rent each year.
It is also expected to spend ₹18.60 crore improving the park.
Planned changes include new rides, a virtual reality zone and better facilities.
The operator originally received a 21-year contract in 2005.
It asked for more time because the park was closed for about two years during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Some people question why the city did not invite other companies to bid.
They also want to know whether the rent matches the value of the seven-acre property.
The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation extended Appu Ghar’s operating agreement by 15 years.
Pushpak Amusements will continue operating the seven-acre amusement park at Durgadevi Tekdi.
Annual rent has risen to about ₹8 lakh under the revised arrangement.
The operator is expected to invest ₹18.60 crore in modernisation and new attractions.
Questions remain over the lack of a fresh tender, property valuation and reported tax dues.
- Who
- The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation and Pushpak Amusements.
- What
- A 15-year extension of Appu Ghar’s operating agreement, with revised annual rent of about ₹8 lakh.
- Where
- Appu Ghar at Durgadevi Tekdi in Pimpri-Chinchwad.
- When
- The original 21-year contract was awarded on October 9, 2005; the article does not state the exact date of the extension approval.
- Why
- The operator cited Appu Ghar’s roughly two-year Covid-19 closure, while the extension is also linked to a planned ₹18.60 crore modernisation.
Extension Rationale
Critics’ Concerns
Reason for continuing the contract
Extension Rationale
The operator sought an extension after Appu Ghar was closed for about two years during the Covid-19 pandemic and has committed ₹18.60 crore to modernisation.
Critics’ Concerns
Critics question why compensation for the closure resulted in a 15-year extension rather than an extension limited to the closure period.
Tender process
Extension Rationale
The existing arrangement allows the current operator to continue and undertake the proposed redevelopment.
Critics’ Concerns
Critics say PCMC should explain why it did not conduct a fresh tender for a long-term contract.
Rent and public value
Extension Rationale
The revised arrangement increases rent from about ₹7.29 lakh to approximately ₹8 lakh annually.
Critics’ Concerns
Critics question whether the seven-acre property was freshly valued and whether ₹8 lakh reflects its market value and revenue potential.
Key facts
- Operator
- Pushpak Amusements
- Property size
- Seven acres
- New extension
- 15 years
- Annual rent
- About ₹8 lakh, or approximately ₹2,229 per day
- Original contract
- 21 years, awarded in 2005
- Planned investment
- ₹18.60 crore
- Reported tax dues
- About ₹5 crore, according to Marathi media reports cited in the article
Sources
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