Readers must be fully acquainted with the hype associated with, if not that much about the completion of the Jammu Ropeway Project. As regards Section 2 , ie; Bahu Fort to Mahamaya Park, which is 447 meters long, pre- commissioning trials were carried out in October 2018. As regards similar trials in respect of section 1, it is learnt that the same could fructify only by the end of this year. It may also be recalled that this project aimed at boosting tourism in Jammu and giving a fillip to the economy is the second such project after the Gulmarg project.
On November 20 this year, Division Bench of State High Court comprising Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Rajesh Bindal had directed that a status report regarding the date on which the Jammu Ropeway Project was expected to be inaugurated should be filed within one week by the Divisional Commissioner Jammu as well as by Jammu and Kashmir State Cable Car Corporation. These directions were passed after the “assurances” from the Divisional Commissioner that the project would be completed at the earliest. The Court was further apprised of various “steps “being taken in respect of providing ancillary facilities including the approach to the project etc.
On December 6, however, when the case again came up for hearing, Managing Director of J&K State Cable Car Corporation Limited submitted before the Division Bench that pre- commissioning trials for Section 2 were carried out in October 2018 and that for Section 1, the same would be carried out in the third week of December. As to why such inordinate delays were caused, it is learnt that the red- tape has played the villain’s role as Forest and Revenue Departments created certain procedural hurdles which were reportedly being “sorted out”.
The moot question as to when the much plugged project would actually be inaugurated and thus thrown open to public and tourists, no specific date has been advised. That in other words means that even the Divisional Commissioner and JK Cable Car Corporation do not exactly know when the project would be committed to public. That sounds quite strange. However, what transpires in the next hearing posted for December 26, Excelsior shall keep a track thereof and apprise the readers about further developments who otherwise are anxious to know the fate of this much delayed project.
Now that enough delay has already taken place, we only wish that as a result of court’s directives, no more dawdling would take place especially in the light of evaluating the economic viability of the project in respect of being related to promoting tourism in Jammu region as pilgrims of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, Shri Amar Nath shrine and tourists visiting Patnitop and other tourist destinations would like to stay longer in Jammu and enjoy cable car ride, go for shopping and generate a cycle of economic activity.
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