• Government gives nod for Swiss Challenge Method
• Mysuru Zoo asks New Zealand firm to submit DPR

By M.T. Yogesh Kumar

The much-touted modern aquarium at Mysuru Zoo (Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens), which has been in limbo for over eight years, has now gained fresh traction, with the State Government giving its nod for the Swiss Challenge Method to complete the project.

Following the government’s go, Zoo authorities have asked the New Zealand firm, which had shown interest in the execution of the project, to submit a Detailed Project Report (DPR).

Swiss Challenge Method

A Swiss Challenge is a method of bidding, often used in public projects, in which an interested party initiates a proposal for a contract or the bid for a project. The Government then puts the details of the project out in the public and invites proposals from others interested in executing it. On the receipt of these bids, the original contractor gets an opportunity to match the best bid. The Swiss Challenge method allows a seller to mix-and-match the features of both an open auction and a closed tender to discover the best price for an asset.

Background

With Mysuru Zoo being one of the top tourist destinations of the city, the State Government  mooted setting up of a huge aquarium connecting  Zoo with the adjacent Karanji Lake in 2010-11.

The  Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), the executing agency, started the works on the project in about 6,000 sq. ft. area at a cost of Rs.4.26 crore. But as the project cost was estimated at Rs.30 crore, the MCC and Mysuru Zoo entered into a row over  release of funds, following which the works came to a standstill since then.

With the ambitious project in limbo for years, S.R. Mahesh, who was the Tourism Minister in the previous Coalition Government, evinced interest in the completion of the aquarium and visited the Zoo along with KR MLA S.A. Ramdas and MCC and Zoo officials for an inspection of the project on July 1, 2018.

Following a direction from Mahesh, the Aquarium building was handed over to the Zoo authorities on July 14, 2018.

Since then, the Zoo authorities have drawn plans for reviving the project and as a New Zealand firm showed interest in building the aquarium, Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK) Member-Secretary B.P. Ravi, Mysuru Zoo Executive Director Ajit M. Kulkarni and other Zoo officials had even visited Ahmedabad last year and inspected a Aquatic Science Park there which is built by the same company.

The Zoo authorities later wrote to the Government in June last year seeking approval for the Swiss Challenge Method.

With the Government giving its nod for the proposal, it is hoped that the much-touted project may see the light of the day soon.

New Zealand firm

The New Zealand based firm which has shown interest in the project has built an Aquatic Life Science Park in 13,000 sq. mts area at Ahmedabad in Gujarat at a cost of Rs.257 crore.

The firm also has the experience of setting up 24 such huge aquatic museums in different countries. Now this New Zealand firm has come forward to execute the aquatic museum project at Mysuru Zoo, which once completed, will no doubt draw a big number of visitors.

It may be mentioned here that Star of Mysore had brought the aquarium issue to the notice of  Forest Minister C.C. Patil when he visited Mysuru Zoo on Jan.1, 2020 for the inauguration of a programme in which Hoolock Gibbons were thrown open for the view of visitors. The Minister then had assured to grant approval for the Zoo’s proposal on the completion of the aquarium project.

Meanwhile, Zoo Executive Director Ajit M. Kulkarni, who confirmed that the Government has given its approval for the Swiss Challenge Method of executing the project, said that the New Zealand-based firm has been asked to submit a DPR. The works will commence once the DPR is received and approved, he added.