*Project cost goes up to whopping Rs 150 crore
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 12: State Cabinet will shortly take final call on fresh allotment of Patnitop aerial ropeway project as only one company has come forward to execute the project in response to the Expression of Interest invited by the Patnitop Development Authority after terminating contract with the Hyderabad-based company in the month of December last year.
The Patnitop aerial ropeway, a dream project of Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, had hit the rough weather in the month of December last year when the contract with the Hyderabad-based company had to be terminated following serious differences over the escalated cost.
While the company was demanding some sort of assistance or relaxations from the Government in view of increase in cost of the project from Rs 52 crore to Rs 150 crore, the State was not interested to consider the request on the ground that such a step would set wrong precedence.
Following cancellation of contract, the Patnitop Development Authority, on the instructions of the Government, floated fresh Expression of Interest (EoI) inviting interested, financially sound and technically experienced agencies for financing, design, supply, installation, testing, commissioning and subsequent operation and maintenance of passenger ropeway system in two sections.
“In response to Expression of Interest, only one company—Kashmir valley based M/s FIL, which is having technical collaboration with POMA company of France has come forward to execute the project on Built-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) basis”, sources said while disclosing that POMA Company has much experience in the construction of aerial ropeways as it has already constructed Gandola at Gulmarg.
The company, in its interest letter to the Patnitop Development Authority, has mentioned that all the components of the project would be imported ones and not the hybrid, sources further said, adding “since only one company came forward to execute the project, the Patnitop Development Authority took up the issue with the Tourism Department as generally one tender is not considered in case of any developmental project”.
“As the fate of the project is already hanging in balance during the past more than one decade and only one company has come forward to carry out the work, the Tourism Department has decided to place the issue before the State Cabinet for final call”, sources informed, adding “if the Cabinet gives nod for execution of project through M/s FIL having collaboration with French company, the work will begin within next few months as all the procedural formalities have already been completed and necessary clearances obtained from all the concerned quarters”.
When contacted, Secretary Tourism, Farooq Shah confirmed that only one company has responded to the Expression of Interest and proposal is being placed before the Cabinet for final decision. “Hopefully, there would not be any more hurdle in this project”, he added.
According to the sources, the cost of the project, which was worked out at Rs 52 crore several years back, has now gone up to Rs 150 crore. Of this, an amount of around Rs 60 crore would be spent on the aerial ropeway and remaining for construction of terminal buildings and other necessary infrastructure for the convenience of the tourists.
It is pertinent to mention here that Patnitop aerial ropeway project was announced by the then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in the year 2002. The first section is from Kud near KM 99 of NH1A to Sangote village having length of 1282 meters and the second from Sangote to Patnitop near Hotel Vardhan having length of 2619 meters.
According to the sources, the Detailed Project Reports for light and laser show and trolley buses for the Patnitop area have been submitted to the Union Tourism Ministry for funding as per the commitments made by the Centre. Similarly, Detailed Project Reports have also been prepared and forwarded to the concerned departments of the State for augmentation of power and water supply to Patnitop and its surroundings.
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