Guwahati: Amidst controversy related to the historic Dighalipukhuri Lake in Guwahati, Assam being handed over to a private company, it has now been reported that the name of the lake has been altered to “Entartica Dighalipukhuri”.
A ticket has now been doing rounds on the social media about the alleged name change.
The Assam tourism department earlier had handed over the historic Dighalipukhuri lake in Guwahati to a private company in Gujarat for the next 15 years for development, operation and management responsibilities.
The claims that were doing rounds were denied by Tourism Minister Jayanta Malla Barua claiming them to be false.
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However, an official document claimed other ways.
The document claimed that the department handed over the development, operation and management control of water activities, the cafeteria and the children’s park at Dighalipukhuri Lake to Ahmedabad-based ECHT Conglomerate Pvt Ltd.
Right after the reports, the name of Dighalipukhuri was altered to Entartica Dighalipukhuti.
While most have denied the claims were constantly denied by the government, the change in the name now paints a clear picture that the historic Dighalipukhuri had indeed been handed over to the company.
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It may be mentioned that ECHT Conglomerate Pvt Ltd also owns Entartica Seaworld in Ahmedabad. Hence, they named Dighalipukhuri as one of their own ventures.
The latest decision has now created another round of confusion and criticism among the masses as the issue has not been given much importance by the concerned minister or authorities.
While the documents said that the company had indeed taken over the Dighalipukhuri, the minister claimed it as false. This indicated that the minister may have not been aware of the fact or may have tried to mislead the masses.
The tender process for the handover was allegedly carried out secretly, with only two companies invited to bid.
The Gujarat-based company, ECHT Conglomerate Pvt Ltd, was awarded the contract after submitting an advance of Rs 30 lakh 12 thousand.
The company has already taken full responsibility for the tank and its surroundings and has increased the entry fee from Rs 5 to Rs 20.
It is also planning to develop a number of new facilities at the site, including a food court, a children’s play area, and a boating service.
The handover of Dighalipukhuri to a private company has raised several questions, including why the government chose to go with a Gujarat-based company, and whether the tender process was fair. Some people have also expressed concern about the impact of the increased entry fee on residents.