Resort and golf course to change face of Relli - Gurung inaugurates tourism project, says more money needed to turn ‘hills into Switzerland’

 Bimal Gurung inaugurates the Relli resort in Kalimpong on Wednesday.
 Picture by Chinlop Fudong Lepcha

TT;RAJEEV RAVIDAS Kalimpong, Nov. 28: GTA chief executive Bimal Gurung today laid the foundation stone of a tourism project that could metamorphose an idyllic village along the Relli Khola into a hot destination. The Relli Resort project entails the construction of a mini golf course and fishing deck among others. The first phase of the resort at Relli will be built at a cost of Rs 7 crore by the tourism department of the GTA. The total cost of the project could go up to over Rs 100 crore, as indicated by Gurung during his speech at the foundation stone laying ceremony. Relli, which is known by the name of the stream that passes through the village, is 14km from here. “We want Relli to be the number one tourist destination in Kalimpong.

 We will require more than Rs 100 crore to complete the project,” Gurung said. The proposed resort will be spread over 5,000sqm and will include 10 tourist huts, a swimming pool with changing rooms, health club, restaurant, craft bazaar, rest shelters, open air theatre and fishing deck among other things. “A unique feature of the project will be the proposed mini-golf course. A water theme park could also come up at Relli in future,” said Sonam Bhutia, the secretary of the GTA’s tourism department. Once completed, Bhutia said, Relli was expected to be a standalone tourist destination near Kalimpong. 

“The village may become a popular destination even during winters because of its warm weather. The project will give a boost to the economy of not only Relli but also the surrounding areas. Nearly 20,000 to 25,000 tourists visiting the hills are expected to go to Relli every year,” he said. Relli is located at an altitude of about 600 metres and is surrounded by forests. Bhutia said the Relli project was among a slew of schemes that his department had planned to launch for the improvement of tourism infrastructure in the hills. 

A survey for starting the Deolo-Kalimopong-Relli cable car project has been completed and it will be a joint venture between the GTA and Damodar Ropeways, he said. “Surveys for the Batasia-Rock Gardens ropeway in Darjeeling and Giddepahar-Rohini ropeway in Kurseong, too, have been completed,” the tourism secretary added. Bhutia listed a number of projects for Kalimpong subdivision, including the renovation and upgrade of the Deolo tourist lodge, Tribeni lodge, Lava lodge, the wayside inn at Chitrey and the Tea House at Durpin. Gurung said there was also a proposal to set up a film city at Deolo. 

 The GTA chief executive took a dig at chief minister Mamata Banerjee, saying Rs 200 crore would not be enough to “turn the hills into Switzerland”, as declared often by her. “Much more money will be needed to realise that vision, which we also share,” he said. Gurung also urged the state to complete the process of handing over all 57 subjects to the GTA by December end.