It’s still ‘Mubarak Mandi-Shahbad’ cable car project for Tourism Dept

Tribune News Service

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Jammu, March 20

The Tourism Department did it again! Despite public outrage and protests over the alleged attempt of previous regime to change the name of historical places in Jammu, the Tourism Department has not changed the nomenclature of Mubarak Mandi-Bahu Fort cable car project and it is still using the terminology “Mubarak Mandi-Shahbad” Cable Car project.

On March 5, last year, the Tourism Department, Jammu, and Managing Director, J&K Cable Car Corporation, had clarified by issuing an official handout that the name of the cable car project was “Peer Kho to Bahu Fort”.

They had said the take-off point would be near Peer Kho Shrine and the landing point would be near the Bahu Fort. The landing could not be made near the Bahu Fort since as per norms no tower could be erected near the heritage site. Since the Bahu Fort was a heritage site, so tower has to be 500 metres away from the monument. The last landing would be in Bahu village.

However, the Tourism Department is still using the name, “Mubarak Mandi-Shahbad”, in the official documents and it became clear on Thursday when the department while circulating a reply in the Legislative Council about tourism projects in Jammu and Kashmir said, “Indigenous ropeway project from Mubarak Mandi to Shahbad is budgeted at Rs 4 crore for both the sanctions, which include the cost on the account of property land, forest land and realignment of utilities such as power and water lines”.

The department again said all the formalities required for starting the work had been completed and work was expected to start shortly.

On February 24, last year, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had laid the foundation of the ropeway project between “Peerkho-Mahamaya-Shahbad and near Bahu Fort”.

After the foundation of the project, protests had erupted in the city over the alleged bid of the state government to change the name of historical places of Jammu, including the historic Bahu Fort to “Shahabad”. Jammu-based legislators had alleged that it was an attempt to change the demography of the region. The issue was resolved only after the Tourism Department had issued the clarification.

The ropeway would consist of two sections. The Section-I with a length of 1,137 metre will be between Peerkhoo and Mahamaya and the Section-II with 453 metre length from Mahamaya Park to the Bahu Fort. The ropeway would comprise of a mono-cable detachable Gandola system of six seats for transporting 600 persons per hour with imported grips, rope, cabins and other critical components.