PPP model fails to take off; Govt now pins hopes on UCF
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 7: The fate of the ambitious Inter-Modal Station (IMS) at Katra, envisioned as a world-class transport hub for millions of pilgrims visiting the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, has become increasingly uncertain as negotiations between the Jammu and Kashmir Government and the National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) over land equity have failed to yield any positive outcome, forcing the authorities to explore an entirely different funding route.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that in the financial model submitted to the Housing and Urban Development Department of the J&K Government for execution of the project on the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode, the National Highways Logistics Management Limited had sought land as equity from the Katra Development Authority.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
However, the negotiations failed to reach a mutually acceptable solution, with the Housing and Urban Development Department expressing reservations over providing land as equity for the project.
Now, the Housing and Urban Development Department has proposed the project under the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs aimed at promoting market-linked and reform-driven urban infrastructure development.
“However, there is no clarity as of now on when the proposal will be approved under the Urban Challenge Fund or whether the project will secure funding under the scheme, leaving the future of the long-delayed project hanging in the balance”, sources said.
They admitted that the delay has become a matter of serious concern, particularly when substantial progress has already been achieved on the New Delhi-Amritsar-Jammu-Katra Expressway, which is expected to channel massive traffic into Katra and the proposed transport hub.
“Ironically, while the expressway project is moving ahead, the transport facility designed to handle the anticipated passenger influx remains stuck in procedural and financial uncertainties”, sources said, while disclosing that NHLML had already identified the successful bidder for execution of the project. However, in the absence of a finalized financial structure, the contract could not be formally awarded and the project failed to move to the execution stage.
They further said, “at present, nobody in the Housing and Urban Development Department is in a position to specify when the project will move towards becoming a reality”.
In response to a query, sources said, “the only mutually agreed aspect between the J&K Government and NHLML is that the latter will be the project management agency if funding under the UCF scheme is secured”.
It is pertinent to mention here that on August 30, 2022, an MoU was signed between National Highways Logistics Management Limited and the Katra Development Authority in the presence of the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir and senior officials from the Central and UT Governments for the development of the Inter-Modal Station at Katra to improve the travel experience of pilgrims visiting the revered shrine.
It was stated officially on the occasion that the Inter-Modal Station will integrate various transportation modes-rail, road, air (helipad), buses, auto-rickshaws, taxis and private vehicles-at a single hub for seamless movement of people from one mode to another.
The Inter-Modal Station was planned as a major transport hub integrating various modes of transport including rail, road and air connectivity, besides bus services, taxis, auto-rickshaws and private vehicles to facilitate seamless passenger movement.
It was started that the station will house a passenger terminal building with a facilitation centre and yatra registration centre, along with a bus terminal, multi-level car parking and commercial facilities such as hotels, retail zones, food courts and entertainment and cultural areas.
Other facilities proposed under the project include taxi stands, Intermediate Public Transport (IPT) stands, pick-and-drop bays, two helipads and a ropeway system, besides world-class passenger amenities such as lounges, medical facilities, pharmacy and baby care areas.
The existing Katra Railway Station will also be integrated with the Inter-Modal Station through a foot-over-bridge, ensuring smooth passenger movement between the two facilities.
The project, as per the plans, will be implemented in phases, with the bus terminal planned in the first phase, which will be completed within two and a half years after commencement of work, followed by development of the other components.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
