Fresh bids, more sops for ropeway projects

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 29

With there being no bidders for three aerial ropeways of Naina-Devi, Deot Sidh and Sarahan earlier, the Tourism Department has decided to invite fresh bids after giving some more concessions to attract entrepreneurs.

The much-delayed Toba-Naina Devi aerial ropeway will be advertised with a provision to provide ample land to the bidder to set up an amusement park at the lower terminal to make the project more viable. The MoU signed with the Punjab Government during the previous BJP regime had been terminated by the Congress government but there have been no takers for the project.

The Tourism Department is inviting bids for the Toba-Naina Devi, Shah Talai-Deot Sidh, Sarahan-Bashal Kanda (Shimla) and Bharmour-Bharmani temple (Chamba). Barring the Deot Sidh temple ropeway, whose span is 1.8 km, rest all three will be more than two km long. The Bharmour-Bharmani temple (Chamba) ropeway will be in two phases with the second stage to connect it to Manimahesh further.

Both in case of Naina Devi (Bilaspur) and Deot Sidh (Hamirpur) ropeways, the major handicap is the existence of an alternative road already being there.

“The reason why there are no takers for Naina Devi and Deot Sidh is because there is a major risk of revenue since most pilgrims take the road,” revealed an official. The ropeway, proposed for Bharmour, has been found to be economically unviable but it is still being advertised.

The demand of the investor is that if the district administration is willing to restrict the road to the shrines only for VIPs and the public is made to take the aerial route, they are willing to invest. However, sources revealed that the local politicians are opposed to any such move, as it will lead to resentment among the locals.

The state government is keen to execute these projects as they will go a long in promoting tourism and reducing traffic congestion. Though the proposals to have these aerial ropeways were prepared almost two decades back, it is now that these have begun to take actual shape.

It is only last month that Usha Breco has been awarded the Kullu-Bijli Mahadev aerial ropeway on a bid amount of over Rs 40 crore and the concession period of 40 years. Usha Breco has already been awarded the Himani Chamunda (Kangra) and Shimla aerial ropeways and they are awaiting forest clearances from the Centre for starting work.