Patna, Nov. 27: The promise of some hi-tech entertainment and exquisite food has advanced to the next level. Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (BUIDCo) has issued the request for proposal to invite developers eager to undertake work at Shaheed Veer Kunwar Singh Azadi Park on Hardinge Road.

Work on the project is expected to start mid-2012 and would continue for the next two years.

The request for proposal document released by the corporation, an undertaking of the state urban development department, includes the work plan for the project, the role and responsibilities of the developer and BUIDCo and the bid documents. The interested developer would also have to deposit Rs 2.43 crore as bank guarantee for bid security. The money is refundable no later than 180 days from the bid due date.

“On November 24, the corporation released the request for proposal documents for the Shaheed Veer Kunwar Singh Azadi Park development project. This has been done to select a developer or consortium of developers, which would undertake the development, marketing, operations and maintenance of the state-of-the-art park in a public-private-partnership mode. The last date for submission of respective bids, including technical and financial plan, has been fixed for January 16 next year,” said a BUIDCo official.

On November 19, The Telegraph had reported that BUIDCo was ready with the request for proposal document for the project and would issue it to interested developers within a week to submit technical and financial bids to develop the green patch.

The Shaheed Veer Kunwar Singh Azadi Park project comprises two parts — Part A (4.04 acres) and Part B (16.31 acres) — which would come up at a cost of Rs 242.96 crore. The Telegraph on October 21 also had carried a report detailing the different components in each part of the green patch. Part A on the southern end of the park would have an open-air restaurant, a food court and Urban Haat among other facilities. Part B on the northern end would include a skating ring, a 4D/5D theatre, museum and science centre, musical fountain on a water body, a children’s park, petting zoo (including domesticated animals like rabbits, sheep and hybrid dogs), star gazing watchtower and others. Both parts would be connected by a glass sky tunnel. A subway under Hardinge Road is also being considered to connect the two parts.

The request for proposal document, which includes a draft concession agreement and non-technical schedules, details the various stages of work to be undertaken in the two-year project.

It also covers the responsibility of the developers in the park’s maintenance after the project’s completion. The developer will have strict deadlines to meet for repairing any faults that might surface at the proposed park. BUIDCo would be required to free the land area of encroachment, make provisions for smooth traffic on Hardinge Road during construction of the sky tunnel or subway and adequate arrangements for existing and new civic utilities. According to the schedule mentioned in the request for proposal document, a pre-bid conference has been scheduled on December 2. BUIDCo would issue the letter of award after 80 days of submission of bids on January 16 and after another 30 days, the agreement for the project would be signed between BUIDCo and the interested developer, setting a timeframe of May-June next year to start the construction work.