Four years ago, Jammu citizenry was kept in good humour by the then Government by announcing that a project of creating Jammu aerial ropeway had been approved which would connect the main city centre with Mahamaya forest locale across the Tawi. Various benefits were listed that the contemplated aerial ropeway would provide to the credulous population. The Tourism Department owned the project and declared it would be a big attraction for the tourists in Jammu. An air of expectancy was created all over and people began dreaming aerially shuttling spree between the two parts of the City of Temples divided by Tawi. They could not think that the dream would be non realizable even after a full year has passed since the then head of the Government laid the foundation stone of the project with great fanfare. Sycophants called it novel scheme for Jammu and predicted great inflow of tourists to Jammu to enjoy the aerial sojourn. The then Government listed it among its achievements and even went to the extent of calling it the creaming of the cake.
But once the project was mooted, it dawned upon the policy planners that the scheme had to go through so many complicacies and labyrinthine formalities and so many departments and agencies were involved in clearing the project. Revenue Department, Forest Department, Environment Department and lastly some Union Departments and finally the Supreme Court of India, all had to do one or the other thing with the project. Thus for a long time the case continued to shuttle from department to department. No Government agency, much less the Tourism Department, showed keenness to pursue the case at official level and get expeditious clearance from these departments. It is not a case of discrimination; it is a case of cheap popularity on the part of the politicians and total inefficiency of the executive branch. It reflects imbecility of the then Government and its reckless apathy towards fulfilling promises made to the people. In more than one previous editorial we dealt with this issue exhaustively and brought to the notice of the public how the concerned authorities give the project casual importance. Money remains transferred and held up at the Revenue Department, land acquisition remains in limbo, part of the project has generated criticism of experts and total inertia has gripped the Tourism Department in this case.
To make fool of unsuspecting masses, the Government rushed to announce that estimated five crore of rupees on account of the project had been sanctioned and passed on to the Revenue Department. The reality that has now come before us about the project is simply shocking. The first and elementary task of land acquisition for the project remains undone despite the money in crores having been passed on to the Revenue Department for payment to the people whose lands are required to be acquired. The situation on the ground today is that Power Development Department was given Rs 118.79 lakh for erecting some poles and sub-station at Peerkho. It has projected revised estimates in the light of cost escalation according to which an amount to the tune of Rs 140.20 lakh is required to be given to it for the completion of the task.
Since M/s Damador Ropeway and Infra Limited, which has been entrusted with the task of constructing the project, is in technical collaboration with M/s STM Turkey and Letter of Credit for foreign components is to be opened, an amount of Rs 14 crore is required to do so. Unless funds are made available Letter of Credit for imported components cannot be opened. This is another hurdle in which the project has got intertwined. Who will solve it and when is a big question. This is a sordid story and from it people will conclude that politicians and policy planners think they can easily hoodwink them and make a mockery of populist rule.
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