Efforts stepped up to set up Naina Devi-Anandpur ropeway

Pratibha Chauhan

Shimla, April 11

Keen to give a fillip to tourism, the state government has stepped up efforts for setting up the Anandpur Sahib-Naina Devi ropeway which has been hanging fire for over a decade.

The government today received financial bids for appointing a consultant who will prepare the bid documents for the delayed project. It was on March 27 that three technical bids were received which were evaluated by the Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation, revealed Director, Tourism, Amit Kashyap.

Despite floating the bids for the project thrice in March 2020 and later in April 2021 and also extending the deadline, no investor showed interest in taking up the project. Finally, it was on January 4, 2022, that the previous BJP regime decided to appoint a new technical consultant for preparing the bid documents afresh for the ropeway project.

The process for appointing a technical consultant has now been entrusted to Himachal Pradesh Infrastructure Development Board (HPIDB). It is being hoped that once the bid documents are prepared afresh, investors will come forward for setting up the ropeway.

An MoU was signed between Punjab and Himachal on July 26, 2012, for setting up the ropeway under public private partnership (PPP) mode, connecting the two shrines. However, the MoU was scrapped in August 2013 after the Congress assumed power, terming the agreement lop-sided and in favour of Punjab.

A fresh MoU was signed between Himachal and Punjab on September 2018. A Joint Venture Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) was constituted on April 3, 2019, to push the project. However, the projects failed to take off.

Initially, the ropeway having a span of 2.5 km was supposed to have three terminal points – Rampur (lower), Toada (intermediate) and Naina Devi (upper). Later the span of the ropeway was increased to 3850 mts. The project is expected to reduce the traffic congestion on the land route connecting the two pilgrim centres. Thousands of people from Punjab and Haryana make a beeline to the hill top temple to pay their obeisance.

The lukewarm interest shown by investors has proved to be a stumbling block in its execution. The ropeway, when constructed, will provide a convenient mode of travel to thousands of pilgrims who rush to the hill top shrine in Bilaspur district.

Cost rises to Rs 100 cr

• The process for appointing a technical consultant has been entrusted to HP Infrastructure Development Board
• The cost of the project initially pegged at Rs 85 crore has now shot up to over Rs 100 crore
• The project is expected to reduce the traffic congestion on the land route connecting the two pilgrim centres