13-05-2025
Three port vessels to house floating restos
Kolkata:
Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port
, formerly known as KoPT, will repurpose three of its vessels — PL Rupsa, PL Hooghly, and PL Gopal — to operate them as floating heritage restaurants. The initiative aims to foster river-based tourism alongside cultural and hospitality services.A senior KoPT official said: "The vessels will be repurposed as heritage and commercial platforms.
We invite established restaurant owners, cafe chains, and food franchise operators to set up floating restaurants or themed hospitality spaces on the Hooghly to create a culturally enriched and visually striking identity for their brand." SMP, Kolkata has called for expressions of interest (EOIs) for the project. The vessels, previously used as residential quarters for pilots during events like Gangasagar Mela, had outlived their original utility. PL Rupsa and PL Gopal, measuring 32m and 19m in length, 6m and 5m in width, and 3.8m and 2.2m in depth, can accommodate approximately 50-100 people. Both vessels have about 1,000 sqft of floor area."They will remain in the river moored next to shore or jetty and will be self-propelled with their own power, featuring crafts exhibition space, restaurant, a small assembly (for banquet purpose) and so on. Basic structures will not be altered," the official said. In 2022, PS Bhopal, a training vessel, was launched with a similar approach. It now hosts weddings, heritage tours, and corporate events.
