NEW DELHI: The ongoing agitation by pony service providers, porters, shop owners and hoteliers to press for the scrapping of the proposed ropeway to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine (SMVDS) has triggered an intense discussion within the govt on whether to include relief and rehabilitation package in such future projects at religious places.
The road transport ministry, which has been tasked to implement ropeway projects under the Parvatmala programme, will soon invite bids for two such projects at Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand. Sources said the govt would have to address the concerns of hundreds of people as they face a risk of losing their livelihood once ropeways become operational.
The govt has announced a 9.7-km Gaurikund-Kedarnath ropeway project and a 12.4-km project to link Govind Ghat, Ghangaria and Hemkund Sahib.
The ropeway to Kedarnath will reduce the time taken by pilgrims to reach the shrine to barely 30-40 minutes from around six to seven hours. Similarly, the ropeway to Hemkund Sahib will reduce the travel time to about 45 minutes. The route from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib is a 19-km steep and tough foot track, and it takes about 12 hours to reach the shrine.
Though in Oct 2022, just before the Uttarakhand assembly polls, PM Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stones for these two projects, there has been hardly any progress. TOI has learnt that an inter-ministerial panel is likely to review these projects soon. “Learning from the recent protest against Vaishno Devi ropeway project, we may have to address the concerns of people who would be affected,” a source said.
Protesters under the banner of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti have been demanding the cancellation of the proposed ropeway project in the Trikuta hills in J&K. Last month, the Shrine Board had announced the Rs 250-crore project to improve access to the temple for senior citizens and children.