Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 23: Taking a dig at previous National Conference (NC) and Congress Government, Minister of State for Education, Culture and Tourism Priya Sethi accused it of associating the Shahbad name with Cable Car Project which actually does not exist in the Revenue records.
Talking to reporters here, today Priya Sethi said that the name of Shahbad was associated with the Cable Car Corporation Project from Peerkho to Mahamaya and Bahu Fort while laying the foundation of Project by previous NC -Congress coalition headed by Omar Abdullah on February 24, 2014.
She said it was BJP which protested at that time against associating the name of Shahbad with the project because the name does not exist in revenue records. “ The name Shahbad was associated with the project by the then coalition for its vote bank and appeasement politics by ignoring the aspirations of the people associated with Bahu Fort which is a historic monument and has a great significance for the people of this region”, she added.
She said a large number of tourists from different parts of the State and outside are visiting this historical place.
She said the foundation of the Project was laid by the then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah while then Deputy CM Tara Chand, Congress president and then Tourism Minister G A Mir , then Revenue Minister, Raman Bhalla and ex MP Madan Lal Sharma were present on the occasion. A name plate was also installed at the foundation site and the name of Shahbad was inscribed on it.
Priya Sethi said it was only the coalition Government of PDP-BJP which came to power in 2015 and it changed the name of project as Bahu Mubarak Mandi Ropeway Project in July 2015 and directives were issued to all concerned offices that in future in all their communications and letters they should refer the project as Bahu Mubarak Mandi Ropeway Project.
The Minister said the project is of two terminals and earlier it was named from Mubarak Mandi to Maha Maya Hillock and from Mahamaya Hillock to Shahbad bracketing the name of Bahu Fort. But present Government changed this after convening the meeting of concerned officers under the chairmanship of Divisional Commissioner Jammu and Project was named as Bahu Mubarak Mandi Ropeway Project and the same name is followed now.
She, however, said recently an NIT was issued by Cable Car Corporation on March 17 for construction of boundary wall near Bahu Fort terminal in which it was written near Shahbad terminal.
Priya said as the issue came up in her notice and she immediately issued directives to concerned officers to cancel the tenders and a cancellation order was issued on March 22. While putting the record straight she said that name of Shahbad does not exist in revenue records and so the Project has been named as Bahu Mubarak Mandi Ropeway Project.
Meanwhile, the G M Cable Car Corporation has called explanation from Executive Engineer Cable Car Corporation Srinagar asking him to explain why the name of Shahbad was written in NIT when the same does not exist in the records.
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