*Procedural delays creating hurdles in vital projects
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 10: After Ratle hydroelectric project in Kishtwar district, the much talked about Patnitop aerial ropeway has landed in trouble with another Hyderabad-based company not coming forward to execute the work despite repeated communications from the concerned authorities of State Government. The prevailing situation has brought to the fore the necessity of reducing procedural delays so as to maintain interests of the companies in the projects of J&K.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Patnitop aerial ropeway project is meeting the fate of Ratle hydroelectric project on River Chenab in Kishtwar district as Hyderabad-based Nagarjuna Construction Company Ltd, which was allotted the project more than a decade back, has virtually lost interest in the aerial ropeway.
“During the past several months, the Patnitop Development Authority is writing to the senior officers of the Nagarjuna Construction Company with the request to start mobilizing men and machinery for execution of the project but no positive response has come from them till date”, sources informed.
Though the top officers of the company too met top functionaries of J&K Government two-three times during the current year yet no positive result has emerged which is evident from the fact that company has not responded the way it should have, sources further said while disclosing that Nagarjuna Company, which once had a proper office and manpower in Patnitop area, is presently neither having any office nor any representative despite the fact that process of obtaining clearances from various quarters came to an end several months back.
“This is also indicative of least interest of the company in the project”, sources said, adding “the company is reportedly in confusion over investment in the project as initially the aerial ropeway was to be completed at a cost of Rs 52 crore and presently its cost has been worked out at more than Rs 100 crore”.
Since the project is to be executed on Built-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) basis, the company is reportedly apprehensive about good returns after investing more than Rs 100 crore.
Holding lack of interest of successive Governments and huge and time-consuming procedural formalities responsible for the escalation in the cost of the project, sources said, “had this aspect been taken care of Patnitop aerial ropeway project would have not met the fate as that of Ratle hydroelectric project”.
Keeping in view no explicit stand of the Hyderabad based company on the project, the Tourism Department has approached Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation for taking up the project, sources revealed, adding “though the Cable Car Corporation has assured to send its team to Patnitop before taking any decision, no date has so far been fixed for the same”.
“Since J&K Cable Car Corporation is also a wing of the State Government whether it would be able to invest more than Rs 100 crore in the Patnitop aerial ropeway is a million dollar question”, sources said, adding “keeping in view all these aspects when the work would begin on much-talked about Patnitop aerial ropeway is beyond guess of anybody”.
According to the sources, the situation which has emerged in the context of Ratle and Patnitop projects should be taken seriously by the State Government and cutting down procedural delays should be pondered upon so that companies don’t lose interest in the projects in this State, which otherwise would impede the developmental activities.
The development vis-à-vis Patnitop aerial ropeway is notwithstanding the fact that Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, while chairing Board of Directors meeting of Patnitop Development Authority in June this year had stressed the need for starting work on the project as expeditiously as possible. “The Government should promptly take decision on execution of this project keeping in view its importance from tourism promotion point of view in Jammu region”, sources stressed.
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