Post controversy, cable car project tender cancelled

JAMMU: After the J&K State Cable Car Corporation (JKSCCC) cancelled its controversial tender having change in the nomenclature of the Mubarak Mandi–Bahu Fort Cable Car Project to the Mubarak Mandi-Shahabad Project, the government tried to shield the officers who were responsible for issuing the controversial tender.

The ropeway project site in Jammu.

Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 23

After the J&K State Cable Car Corporation (JKSCCC) cancelled its controversial tender having change in the nomenclature of the Mubarak Mandi–Bahu Fort Cable Car Project to the Mubarak Mandi-Shahabad Project, the government tried to shield the officers who were responsible for issuing the controversial tender.

Even as the government sought to clarify that there was no renaming of Bahu Fort, there was no formal notification in this regard.

In a hurriedly called press briefing at her office chamber in the civil secretariat here, Priya Sethi, Minister of State for Tourism, made every attempt to shield the officers of JKSCCC officers. She said, “As far as the nomenclature of the Mubarak Mandi-Bahu Fort Cable Car Project is concerned, there is no such change in the revenue records. The allegations levelled by some people that the name of Bahu Fort no more existed in the official records of the cable car and had been named Shahabad Station are totally baseless.”

However, she did not make it clear whether any inquiry had been ordered by the government to identify those who were responsible for the wrongdoing. “No inquiry has been ordered but we are taking all necessary steps to fix the responsibility and identify persons involved in it. The Opposition is trying to take political mileage out of the issue for votebank politics only,” she said.

However, till late on Thursday evening, the government issued no formal notification regarding the name of the project that continued to add to the confusion of all stakeholders.

Pertinently, the JKSCCC in a notice issued on March 17 had invited tenders for the construction of a wall wherein it had named the Bahu Fort area as the Shahabad Station of the cable project.

The controversial issue had drawn severe political and public outrage with many political and social groups alleging that the BJP was “hand in glove” with its coalition partner PDP to change the demography of the winter capital of the state.