DPR for Palampur ropeway project being finalised: Gokul Butail

Palampur, April 9

Gokul Butail, Information and Technology Adviser to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, said a fresh detailed project report (DPR) for the construction of the Palampur ropeway project was being prepared.

Addressing mediapersons here today, Butail said the construction of the Palampur ropeway was among the priority projects of the CM and it would pave the way for making Kangra the tourism capital of the state. He said the CM was keen on the early completion of this project. Therefore, a special team of experts had been constituted to complete the task (DPR) in the next two months.

The Rs 605-crore Palampur-Thathri-Chunja glacier ropeway project has been hanging fire since long due to the failure of the previous governments to submit its DPR to the Centre for financial approval. Initially, the NHAI was to execute the project.

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had conveyed to the state government in December last year that the NHAI had approved the 13.5-km glacier ropeway project, which had been hanging fire since 1990. However, no headway had been made in the absence of a DPR. Now it is expected the new government will take steps to complete the project on priority.

The 13.5-km proposed ropeway will connect Palampur with Chunja Glacier in the Dhauladhar hills at the height of 12,000-ft above sea level. Tourists will reach the snow-covered peaks of the Dhauladhar ranges within half an hour.

Former CM Shanta Kumar hailed the decision of the Sukhu government for taking up the project on priority.

Talking to The Tribune here this morning, he said he was making efforts for completion of this project since 1990 but because of official bottlenecks and the lukewarm attitude of the governments, no headway could be achieved. He said he was hopeful that the Sukhu government would complete this project which would boost the tourism industry of the state.