*Any violation of agreement may lead to litigations
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 20: In what could be termed as sheer discrimination with Jammu, the much-talked about Jammu aerial ropeway project is being scuttled by some vested interests in the Tourism Department by intentionally delaying the necessary approvals to the Calcutta-based company despite completion of all formalities. In this way, they are creating road-blocks in the plans of making winter capital of the State an independent tourist destination.
The passenger aerial ropeway between Pir Kho-Mahamaya-Shahbad was conceived several years back in order to provide required impetus to the tourism related activities in the winter capital of the State. After crossing one after another hurdle, this ambitious project finally received the mandatory Supreme Court clearance in the month of November 2013. Thereafter, the State Forest Advisory Committee in its meeting held on January 10, 2014 gave nod to the transfer of 56 kanals of forest land at Mahamaya to the Jammu and Kashmir State Cable Car Corporation.
With all the necessary clearances and approvals in the hand, the then Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah on February 24, 2014 laid the foundation stone of the project after it was decided by following the laid down procedure that Calcutta-based Damodar Ropeway and Infra Limited (DRIL) will execute the project and complete it within the time-frame mentioned in the Detailed Project Report.
In the month of May 2014, the Damodar Ropeway signed an agreement with the J&K Cable Car Corporation for Rs 20.35 crore worth Indian component and Euro 1188526 for Damodar’s Turkey based technical partner for installing passenger ropeway between Pir Kho-Mahamaya-Shahbad.
Thereafter, the company received first installment of mobilization advance to the tune of Rs 1.06 crore for Indian component. The company, as desired by the J&K Cable Car Corporation, even submitted all the necessary drawings to RITES, a Project Management Consultant engaged by the Corporation.
Though these drawings were approved by the RITES but thereafter no further steps were initiated by the Cable Car Corporation because some hidden hands were already active by that time to scuttle the project instead of allowing its smooth execution, reliable sources in the Tourism Department told EXCELSIOR.
Till date neither formal documents about approval of the drawings have been furnished to the Calcutta-based company nor steps have been initiated to take the process of Letter of Credit (LC) to its logical conclusion, sources further said while disclosing that the Letter of Credit of Euro 100000 for Services and Euro 1088526 for equipment was opened but no formal certificate has been issued to the Damodar company till date, sources further said.
“Under pressure from the vested interests in the Tourism Department who didn’t want this project to see light of the day because of their anti-Jammu stance, the Cable Car Corporation delayed the issuance of formal certificate despite being aware of the fact that its validity was up to January 31, 2016”, sources said, adding “even the payment of Rs 1.25 crore to the company has been delayed by the Corporation for a long time due to which work remains standstill”.
They informed that Damodar company is making repeated attempts to ascertain the reason behind inordinate delay in issuance of approvals despite completion of all formalit
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