State govt fails to get ropeway project approval from Centre

One of the prestigious Rs 605- crore tourism projects — the Palampur-Thathri-Chunja Glacier Ropeway Project — has been hanging fire for the past five years following the failure of the state government to get the detailed project report (DPR) approved from the Union Government.

Was to be executed by NHAI

As per the MoU, the project was to be executed by the NHAI. Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had also conveyed to the state that the NHAI had approved the much-awaited 13.5-km Palampur-Thathri-Chunja Glacier Ropeway Project, which had been hanging fire for the past many years. However, despite announcement of the Union Minister there was no sign of early construction of the project.

However, with the change of guard in Shimla in December 2022, the situation has gone from bad to worse as the BJP government at the Centre virtually put the project in a cold storage.

During Jai Ram Thakur-led government in the state, many ropeway projects were approved and Palampur ropeway project was one of them. Ropeways and Rapid Transport System Development Corporation (RTDC) and National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), a subsidiary of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), had also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the project, but no initiative was taken to start its work since the past five years.

As per the MoU, the project was to be executed by the NHAI. Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had also conveyed to the state that the NHAI had approved the much-awaited 13.5-km Palampur-Thathri-Chunja Glacier Ropeway Project, which had been hanging fire for the past many years. However, despite the announcement of the Union Minister there was no sign of early construction of the project.

Official sources told The Tribune that there was a proposal to set up thirteen ropeway projects in Himachal and Palampur-Thathri-Chunja Glacier Ropeway Project was one of them. Out of these half a dozen projects were in the final stage, they said.

For Palampur-Thathri-Chunja Glacier Ropeway Project, the state government could not get approval for funding neither from the NHAI nor from NABARD.

The proposed ropeway would connect Palampur with Chunja Glacier in Dhauladhar Hills at the height of 12,000-ft above the sea level. Tourists would reach the snow-covered peaks within 31 minutes from Palampur. The state had prepared a project report in 2019 and also tried to find investors. However, because of the high cost, reserve forests falling in the project area and difficulties in getting environment clearances, none turned up for funding the project.

During the past one-and-a-half-year, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led state government remained noncommittal on the Palampur ropeway project. Sukhu had announced that Kangra would be made tourism capital of the state. He made many other announcements, but had reservations about the execution of the Palampur-Thathri-Chunja Glacier Ropeway project.