Rs 150 crore Bijli Mahadev ropeway project hangs fire
Abhinav Vashisht
Kullu, September 1
The Bijli Mahadev ropeway in Kullu is unlikely to see the light of the day anytime soon as the government has terminated the agreement with the company and the matter is under arbitration.
Usha Breco Company, which was allotted the job in 2018 by the Tourism Department, has failed to start the work even after four years. As per the MoU signed between the department and the company, the project is supposed to come up under the PPP mode.
Notice served on firm
A notice has been given to the firm. The Law Department has been approached to take back the project so that it can be awarded to some other firm. —Sunayna Sharma, DTDO, Kullu
The ropeway was to be built at a cost of Rs 150 crore. At first the officials kept giving excuses about its formalities and later a dispute cropped up over its location. It was decided that the ropeway would be built 70 metre from the Bijli Mahadev Temple Complex. The officials then kept making excuses over the corona outbreak in 2020.
Kullu District Tourism Development Officer (DTDO) Sunayna Sharma said that a notice had been given to the company. The Law Department has been approached to take back the project from the company so that it can be awarded to some other firm.
The government has been planning to build the Bijli Mahadev ropeway for a long time. With the construction of the ropeway, the five-kilometer steep trek will be covered in seven minutes.
Thousands of pilgrims visit Bijli Mahadev to pay obeisance to the Shivlingam situated on the top of the mountain. The construction of the ropeway will boost tourism and create employment opportunities in the region.
