Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel in Mysuru to be handed over to private firms; state govt to call tenders
Bengaluru: Lalitha Mahal Palace, the five-star heritage hotel in Mysuru, will be handed over to private operators, with the Cabinet of ministers in Karnataka clearing the proposal to invite tenders for the palace during a meeting on Thursday.
The iconic structure, constructed in 1921, was run as a heritage hotel from 1974 to 2018 by the Ashok Group for the Indian Tourism Development Corporation before it was handed over to the state government in 2018. Currently, it is in the charge of the government enterprise Jungle Lodges and Resorts, however, as the state government was finding the maintenance of the heritage hotel a burden, the Cabinet has decided to hand over the reins to a private firm, reports The Indian Express.
Karnataka Law Minister HK Patil, when asked about the issue, confirmed that the works of maintenance, management, repairs and modernization of the Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel in Mysuru will be handed over from the Jungle Lodges and Resorts to private companies. Tenders will be called to appoint a hotel operator, the minister added, on Thursday.
“The Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel, nevertheless, will be preserved as a heritage property, regardless of modernization. The government was finding it difficult maintain five-star hotels, which requires a high investment of Rs 40-50 crore, especially due to low occupancy and decided to hand over the responsibility to private companies,” Patil explained.
The minister, however, clarified, “Jungle Lodges and Resorts is not running at a loss but is also not making profits. The facilities it provides at the hotel, including the number of rooms, are limited.”
Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel was built by the Maharaja of Mysore Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV as a place of residence for the British Governor General of India. It is modelled on the St Paul’s Cathedral in London and the second largest palace in Mysore after the Maharajah’s palace.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
BESCOM to organise EV expo for Secretariat employees in Jan 2025
Bengaluru (PTI): To encourage the adoption of electric vehicles (EV), Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) announced on Friday that a special EV fair will be organised for the Secretariat employees in January 2025.
During a meeting at the BESCOM office, Managing Director Mahantesh Bilagi said, "The fair is being organised following a directive of Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh and will be conducted under the supervision of Energy Minister K J George and Additional Chief Secretary of the Energy Department Gaurav Gupta."
According to him, the event aims to educate attendees about the benefits of environmentally friendly EVs and to encourage the adoption of two-wheeled EVs.
"During the fair, dealer discounts to government employees, particularly those in the Secretariat will also be offered. There will also be opportunities for practical demonstrations of the vehicles at the exhibition site," added Bilagi.
He said the Secretariat employees will also benefit from no down payment and low-interest loans to purchase the EV vehicles.
"EV companies are eager to participate and the sales will extend beyond the exhibition, continuing in the future," the Managing Director said.
The state, particularly Bengaluru, has the highest electric vehicle (EV) users, said Bilagi, adding that to support this, the Energy Department has provided essential infrastructure.
"BESCOM's efforts in promoting EV usage have been recognised with the 'Charge India 2024 Excellence' award. This award is a testament to our commitment to establishing excellent charging facilities. Karnataka has the country's most public electric vehicle charging stations, with a total of 5,765 stations, of which 4,462 are located in the Bengaluru Urban district," said Bilagi.
The Secretariat Employees' Association president Ramesh Sanga and other office-bearers, BESCOM Technical Director H J Ramesh as well as senior officials attended the meeting.
