Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 2: The Jammu and Kashmir Forest Advisory Committee is sleeping over the much-delayed Patnitop aerial ropeway project despite the fact that the project has already received all the mandatory clearances including the nod from the Apex Court of the country. Due to this, the company engaged for the execution of project has expressed reluctance to start mobilizing its men and machinery.
Reliable sources told EXCELSIOR that soon after the receipt of clearance from the Supreme Court bench, which is called Green Court, comprising Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, Justice J Chelameshwar and Justice A K Sikri, the Patnitop Development Authority furnished the requisite documents to the J&K State Forest Advisory Committee for its nod to the project.
“The project details along with all the mandatory clearance obtained from different agencies were submitted to the Forest Advisory Committee at the beginning September this year”, they said. However, due to devastating floods, the Committee could not hold its meeting scheduled for September 8.
However, even after improvement in the situation, the Forest Advisory Committee headed by Chief Secretary, Mohammad Iqbal Khandey didn’t bother to convene its meeting and clear the project, which otherwise is of much importance from tourism promotion point of view.
As the project has reached the stage of execution after a delay of more than one decade, the Forest Advisory Committee should have cleared it on top most priority in order to ensure start of the work, sources said. If the Cabinet could meet twice in the aftermath of floods to clear routine administrative agenda there was no justification behind not convening the meeting of Forest Advisory Committee, they wondered.
“The clearance of Forest Advisory Committee is just a formality as all the mandatory clearances particularly from the State Wildlife Board, National Wildlife Board, Expert Appraisal Committee of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and Empowered Committee of the Supreme Court have already been obtained for the project”, sources said while expressing concern over delay on the part of Forest Advisory Committee in expeditiously fulfilling this procedure.
It took more than a decade to the project to reach the stage of execution as it was approved by the Patnitop Development Authority Board in January 2004 when Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was the Chief Minister. The foundation of the project was laid in May 2007 when Ghulam Nabi Azad was the Chief Minister.
“Hardly any project in the country has gone through such a long period to reach at the stage of execution”, sources said.
Meanwhile, Hyderabad based company—Nagarjuna Construction Company Ltd, which has been entrusted the task of executing the project, has shown reluctance to mobilize its men and machinery required for start of work on the ropeway for want of clearance from the Forest Advisory Committee.
“The company has categorically made it clear to the Patnitop Development Authority that it would take decision on bringing machinery only after project crosses the final hurdle”, sources said, adding “the company has also hinted that it would have to renegotiate certain issues with the Patnitop Development Authority keeping in view prolonged delay in project”.
Disclosing that as per the original Detailed Project Report, the ropeway project had to executed at the cost of around Rs 55 crore, sources said that the cost of the project would go up by around Rs 20 crore keeping in view escalation in the prices of material to be used in the ropeway. “The company would like to settle this issue also before starting work on the ground”, they added.
It is worthwhile to mention here that this project assumes much importance especially when National Highway is being diverted by way of construction of tunnel between Chenani and Nashri. The aerial ropeway would help in keeping alive this tourist resort even after the opening of tunnel.
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