Vaishno Devi ropeway project approved by L-G, not Cabinet, CM tells J&K Assembly
Informed that project received approval from the Lieutenant Governor in 2024, prior to the formation of the elected government
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday clarified that the controversial ropeway project at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine was neither approved by his Cabinet nor by the Administrative Council, but was instead cleared by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
The Chief Minister made the statement in the Legislative Assembly a day after a heated exchange between Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and BJP MLA from the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Assembly constituency, Baldev Raj Sharma.
Abdullah informed the House that the ropeway project in the Trikuta Hills received approval from the Lieutenant Governor in 2024, prior to the formation of the elected government.
“One member stated that the Cabinet had approved the ropeway project. I verified the records and found that the Cabinet did not approve it. It is also not a decision of the Administrative Council,” Abdullah said.
Emphasising the role of the Lieutenant Governor, he added, “The project was approved by the Lieutenant Governor in September 2024, before the elected government came into existence.”
The Chief Minister said that both the Assembly and the public were being misled on the issue, noting that “in an emotional moment, the member had yesterday even threatened to resign.”
On Monday, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary had alleged in the House that the ropeway project was being implemented in a “dictatorial manner” despite strong opposition from local residents. Protests have been continuing, with shopkeepers, pony and palanquin operators, and small hoteliers claiming the project would directly affect their livelihoods.
The proposed ropeway aims to connect Katra town with Sanji Chhat via the Tarakote Marg.
In August last year, 35 pilgrims were killed when a landslide struck the trek route to the Vaishno Devi shrine. Following the incident, environmentalists had warned that further excavation in the region’s fragile hills could increase the risk of such disasters in the future.
