|| K.LEADER DESK
Some people at the top level in the previous NC- Congress coalition are going to be in a big trouble this time due to the ropeway project on which the cost of Rs 10 crore was incurred but was closed due to the unsafe material used for its construction. Sources within the government revealed that a probe is being launched over the reasons behind the usage of such an unsafe material in the rope way project. The ropeway which was inaugurated in December 2013 is located on the foothills of Hari Parbat in old city of Srinagar up to Sufi shrine of Makhdoom Sahib (RA).
The ropeway was closed following the complaints that the material used in its construction was not of the acceptable quality and that same could endanger lives of people. The government last year ordered its immediate closure on May 17, 2015. The chief minister Mehbooba Mufti who has retained the tourism ministry with herself has expressed concerned over the usage of ropes and towers during the construction of the ropeway. Meanwhile, sources revealed that the initial findings of the probe revealed that the project wasn’t started with the proper clearance and that the helmsmen that time inaugurated it in haste.
The officials two years ago had given much promotional hype to the project saying it would go a long way in promoting tourism-related activities in the area, besides providing an alternative means of transportation to the old and disabled people who come to pay obeisance at the revered shrine, but the current situation of the cable car has disappointed people.
It was informed further that the ropeway was built in violation of the safety standards. “The investigation is being launched to ascertain whether the high level corruption was involved in the construction of the rope way project. It has to be probed that whether the ministers who were running the concerned ministry that time were involved,” official privy to this development told Kashmir Leader. The officials two years ago had given much promotional hype to the project saying it would go a long way in promoting tourism-related activities in the area, besides providing an alternative means of transportation to the old and disabled people who come to pay obeisance at the revered shrine, but the current situation of the cable car has disappointed people.
The project was approved by the state government in 2010 to provide easy access to devotees to the shrine. The government had also conducted a survey for the project through RITES, a Government of India subsidiary considered to be an authority in multi-disciplinary consultancy organisation in the fields of transport, infrastructure and related technologies. The horizontal length of the ropeway is 541 metres with four cabins in each cluster with a capacity and design of 225 at maximum speed of 4m/sec. Meanwhile, sources said that the company that built the ropeway submitted it s report to the state government and a decision in this regard is likely to be taken in near future.
The project was approved by the state government in 2010 to provide easy access to devotees to the shrine. The government had also conducted a survey for the project through RITES, a Government of India subsidiary considered to be an authority in multi-disciplinary consultancy organisation in the fields of transport, infrastructure and related technologies.
