Tata to quit McLeodganj ropeway project

lit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, February 14

With a Tata firm walking out of the ropeway project between Dharamsala and McLeodganj, uncertainty is prevailing over the project. The Tata has closed one of its two offices here.

Sources here said the Tata firm was walking out due to the project delay and expected unviability.

The project was allotted by the previous Congress government to Dharamsala Ropeway Company in which Tata Reality and Infrastructure Ltd (TRIL) has 76 per cent stake. The project was to be implemented by June 2019. However, it had been delayed by a few months.

Officials of TRIL here said they would complete the construction by October. After the completion, the project is to be run by some other company which buys the Tata stake.

Sources here said the firm had also bagged Rohtang ropeway deal that involved an investment of Rs 585 crore.

Though the work on Dharamsala ropeway began last year, the permission for the Rohtang project is yet to be received.

A senior firm official said with the permission for the Rohtang project not coming, the Dharamsala ropeway was too small for Tata to run. It would not be viable for the company.

Sources also said due to its overhead costs, TRIL was suffering a loss of about Rs 40 lakh per month due to delay in its construction.

The Himachal Cabinet in November 2018 had given permission to TRIL to sell off its stake.

District Tourism Officer at Dharamsala Madhu Chaudhary said her office had no information regarding the company walking out of the project. She said it might be happening at the company level only.

The project head of the ropeway Suba Rao was not available for comment.

Dr Rajesh Sharma, state president of Professional Congress, said it was unfortunate that the company was walking out of the prestigious project. It seemed that the government had not made any effort to retain the company.

Firm losing Rs 40 lakh per month

• The project was allotted by the previous Congress govt to Dharamsala Ropeway Company in which Tata Reality and Infrastructure has 76 pc stake
• The project was to be implemented by June 2019
• However, it had been delayed by a few months.
• The firm is suffering a loss of about Rs 40 lakh per month due to delay 
• The company also bagged ropeway project at Rohtang
• Permission for executing Rohtang ropeway has not yet come