Muhammad Mukaram
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Apr 18: The fate of Verinag ropeway project continues to hang in balance as State Cable Car Corporation (SCCC) has failed to generate interest among the construction companies to undertake the project.
The project that was envisioned to provide the cable car services to the visitors at South Kashmir's famed tourist destination Verinag has faced rejections twice from the construction companies.
The project remains confined to papers only.
Last year in August, the SCCC invited bids from the construction agencies for financing, design, supply, installation, testing, commissioning and subsequent operation and maintenance of a passenger ropeway system adjacent to Verinag Spring to botanical garden on Built, Own, Operate and Transfer (B.O.O.T) basis, for a concession period of 35 years.
Till date, the project has failed miserably to attract any bidder for the construction and operation purposes leaving the project in doldrums.
"We have invited tenders twice at national level but there is no response from the construction companies. We need to have adequate bidders before finalizing the deal. There is no headway yet," official told Early Times, who wished not to be named.
"Now we are discussing the other options available with us to ensure the progress over the project," he added.
Verinag is known for its famous spring Verinag and the surrounding Mughal Garden. While the town attracts thousands of tourists each other, the proposed ropeway passenger service could have helped in attracting more visitors to the scenic town, locals told ET.
According to sources, the project cost was estimated as Rs18.50 crore and the interested bidders were asked to deposit Rs 25 lakh as the bid money with the corporation.
Prior to this, the SCCC has also invited the bids in 2014 for the construction of the passenger ropeway.
The Corporation at that time had received only one bidder M/S Fetch Constructions Private Limited stalling the process.
The MD SCCC said, the project land that belongs to Verinag Development Authority (VDA) and it was supposed to be completed through public -private-partnership mode.
"It was supposed to be maintained and run by the selected party for 30 years initially which later would be hand over to the VDA," he said.
The SCCC has communicated to the government to decide the further course of action to kickstart the project.
"We have written to the government and hopefully some new plan will be formulated to establish the ropeway," Mir said.
As the project was announced, the former Tourism Minister himself visited the proposed site last year and directed the cable car corporation authorities to engage reputed consultancy for the design and preparation of the project. |
