Hosts leave no room for investors

State government officials have taken almost all the accommodation meant for industrialists invited to the Khajuraho Investors Meet on the coming Friday and Saturday.

More than 100 government staffers, including office boys, have occupied rooms in the best hotels. “We have already turned down various investors, as we do not have accommodation in Khajuraho for them,” said Anil Jain, managing director of the Madhya Pradesh State Trade and Felicitation Corporation.

The officials have not only occupied almost all rooms in the good hotels — Taj Chandela, Usha Bundela, Lalit, Clark and Radisson — but have also done so at the nearby towns of Chhatarpur, Panna and Satna. “Even government guest houses and rest houses have been blocked by the state administration,” admitted Jain.

 

Four government-owned properties — Hotel Payal, Hotel Jhankar, Tourist Village, and Jungle Camp — have no rooms either. “They have refused us rooms days ago. Our executives will make trips from Satna town or sign a deal another time,” said a staffer of an investor company. Satna is a three-hour drive from Khajuraho.

Even private guest houses have been blocked by the local administration for state staffers. “We have been working on the Khajuraho meet for the last six months. Where will we stay? We need almost the entire industry department at Khajuraho,” defended a senior Trifac official. He said he was arranging accommodation at investors’ expense.

VIP investors get priority over smaller ones. “All five-star hotels and other star category hotel rooms have been booked for biggies like Ambani, Shashi Ruia, V N Dhoot, K M Birla and their staff,” a local hotelier informed.

It appears a large number of investors who were serious, officials of the Confederation of Indian Industry and Assocham would skip the meet as a result of the stay problem.

Barring a few unknown foreign delegates (government officials are not disclosing the names of investors), all investors would pay their stay and travel expense. A 144-seater chartered plane will bring some investors from New Delhi on Friday.