Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, Jan 19: Much to the annoyance of the skiers and hoteliers of the Pahalgam in South Kashmir, a ski lift is defunct for the last 3-years despite crores being spent by the Government for the establishment of the facility.
The purpose of the lift was to attract tourists during winters and promote Pahalgam as a winter sports station. However, the failure of the authorities to keep the facility functional has completely jeopardized the initiative.
“The department abandoned the project after making it functional for just one or two seasons. By doing so, the Cable Car Corporation is wasting crores of money spent on its making,” an official of the Tourism Department said.
Located around Circuit Road in main Pahalgam town, the lift was provided in 2016 with an aim to ease the uphill journey of skiers and encourage sports lovers to visit the place.
The project was part of the government’s efforts to promote the place as a winter sports destination as the place receives dismal tourist footfall in winters. “It is because of such attitude of the authorities, the efforts of the government to make Pahalgam as winter destination remain futile,” an official said.
The sports lovers from South Kashmir said they have to travel all the way to Gulmarg for skiing despite the availability of the facility. “The place has everything that a winter tourist destination needs. It is not that facilities are not there, but the callousness of the authorities have wasted it. The government should seriously look into the issue,” Nissar Ahmad, a skiing enthusiast said.
Mushtaq Simnani, the Chief Executive Officer of Pahalgam Development Authority said that he has taken the matter with the Tourism Department. “I have written to the concerned officials but there has not been any progress so far,” Simnani said, adding that the place received good snowfall this season and that would have encouraged ski-lovers to visit the place.
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