The sports department, infamous for doing precious little to maintain the multicrore National Games infrastructure in Ranchi, has embarked on an ambitious plan to mix activity with leisure and promote tourism.

Come November, the department will host a three-star-hotel on public-private partnership mode at Birsa Munda Football Stadium in Morabadi. In a tendering process a month ago, it has already selected Patna-based hospitality group The Panache for the project on a lease of 45 years.

Retired sports director Dadan Choubey, who is currently handling affairs at the Sports Authority of Jharkhand, confirmed the plan, stating that the proposed hotel would boast 32 luxurious rooms and a high-end swimming pool among other amenities. 'If memory serves me well, three parties had bid for the project. One was disqualified on technical grounds. Of the other two, one party based in Patna was chosen on the basis of the highest bid,' Choubey said.

While no official in the department was willing to reveal the exact amount the state would earn as annual revenue, citing pending paperwork, tender details suggest the minimum slab had been set at Rs 30 lakh per annum.

Speaking to The Telegraph from Patna, general manager of The Panache Pranab Kumar said they were waiting for the formal letter of intent from the Jharkhand government and civil works in Morabadi were expected to begin in April.

'We have taken a part of the stadium on lease for 45 years. Ranchi will host our second property after Patna, where we set up shop last year. The hotel will have 32 rooms, each high on style and hospitality. We need to renovate many areas to suit our needs. Civil works are being planned from early next month and we intend to launch in November-December. Our team will visit the stadium soon to kick off groundwork,' said Kumar.

Having a spectator capacity of 40,000, the Birsa Munda stadium had been remodelled in the run-up to the Games in February 2011. Two years ago, the sports department had also come up with a world-class swimming pool equipped with Jacuzzi, besides a sauna and fitness centre, together valued at Rs 1.5 crore. However, the pool and other amenities continue to remain under lock and key.

'Earlier, there was a plan to launch a membership drive for the facility and generate revenue. Swimming enthusiasts could have trained while we raked in the moolah; but we didn't receive any direction from the government thereafter. Now, the pool and other amenities will be integrated into the hotel plan,' said Choubey.

Scepticism rules. Particularly because the department is struggling to give final shape to the long-pending sports university project despite directives from chief minister Raghubar Das and Jharkhand High Court's questions on the government's intentions.

Amid endless uncertainties, the sports department is happy to have roped in the private party for a three-star hotel.

'Private players were so far reluctant to invest in Jharkhand owing to political instability. This is why projects like sports academies failed to evince interest. We can say things have now started moving. Work on the sports varsity too has progressed to a satisfactory level. As far as the football stadium is concerned, there is another plan of outsourcing all shops. Priority will be given to local agencies,' said an official.