One of the new restaurants to be opened in Darjeeling on Monday. Picture by Suman Tamang

Darjeeling, Aug. 17: At a time when the recent spate of shutdowns has sent jitters across the tourism industry in the hills, a Calcutta-based infrastructure development company is pumping in Rs 12 crore to open three restaurants and a hotel in Darjeeling.

“We always believe that a solution to the present imbroglio in the hills will emerge. We had decided to launch the project in Darjeeling two months before the Gorkhaland issue started singeing the hills in 2007. But once a decision was taken, we did not flinch,” said Debashish Chaudhury, director, Rainbow Infrastructure and Housing Development Ltd.

This is one of the biggest private sector investments in Darjeeling ever since the current strife started in the Hills.

Tomorrow, the company will commence the commercial operation of Oriental Delight (a Chinese and Thai restaurant), along with Chak De India (an Indian restaurant), Nasha, a lounge bar and Al Zaika, a hookah bar within Nasha.

“The first floor will house a games parlour and an Internet café over 16,000 square feet, while the second one will have a hotel with 40-45 rooms,” said Chaudhury.

Construction of the hotel within the Rink Mall complex has already commenced and the project is expected to be completed within one year. The floor space of the hotel is equivalent to that of the resto-bar, taking the total area of the property to 32,000 square feet.

The company admitted that since the business was largely based on the tourism potential of the town, the frequent strikes could have a sever impact on the prospects of the project. “We think that Darjeeling and Sikkim have a lot to attract visitors and with the greater inflow of foreign tourists, things will take a good shape,” said Chaudhury.

It is estimated that about 3.5 lakh domestic tourists and 40,000 foreigners visit the hills annually, although there are no official figures available.

A multi-cuisine restaurant, a lounge bar and a banquet hall are presently under-construction by the same company in Siliguri. “We believe that a boom in tourism industry in Darjeeling and Gangtok will spill onto Siliguri,” the official added.

The new restaurants will also offer seafood, which is hard to get in hill stations.