The Uttarakhand finance department has selected Bimal Patel-led and Ahmedabad-based HCP Design, Planning and Management Private Limited for the revamp of Chaurasi Kutiya Ashram, also famously known as the Beatles Ashram. The selection by the state tourism department happened without tender, reveals documents obtained under the RTI Act filed by national media.

The documents were reviewed by English daily newspaper The Indian Express, which revealed the tourism department justified the selection of HCP through single-source procurement by pointing to the complexity of the heritage-cum-tourism project and the expertise of the world-class company. The company’s experience in executing major projects such as the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor and the Central Vista development near Parliament was also given as a reason in the documents.

Documents Reveal the Costs

Initially, the finance department did not come around to clear the project and recommended obtaining prior approval of the forest department and asked the tourism department to ensure the rate reasonableness and the fee paid to the company.

However, after rounds of discussion, the Uttarakhand Cabinet approved hiring of HCP Designs as the consultant on August 3, 2023. The cost of consultancy is ₹1,90,00,000 for the master plan lump sum and a fee of ₹4.75% of the actual cost of the project for supervision support. ₹15,00,000 was levied for a one-day workshop, site visit and board design framework report — all borne by the tourism department, while the cost of the actual project will be borne by the forest department.

The Beatles Ashram is situated inside the Rajaji National Park in Rishikesh, and was visited by the famous British band, the Beatles, in 1968.