Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri chaired a review meeting of Ropeways and Rapid Transport Development Corporation HP Limited (RTDC) here today. He took note of all ongoing projects including issues and problems being faced by the corporation.
He said that the ropeway was an eco-friendly mode of transport which reduces the travel distance sufficiently as in hilly terrain one km of ropeway was equivalent to 5-6 km of road distance.
"The State Government plans to go for this eco-friendly, clean and green mode of transport in a big way, be it for decongestion of cities, providing connectivity to left out unconnected habitations or enhancing tourism potential", he said adding that RTDC has started ground work for this project in Shimla. He directed RTDC to start operation of this project in the next five years.
"This ropeway project will have a network of 14.69 km ropeways connecting 15 stations with a project cost of Rs. 1546.40 crore. This urban ropeway project will be second of its kind in world and first in India", said the Deputy CM. He further said that our Government plans to develop similar urban ropeway projects for Dharamshala and Manali towns.
Mukesh Agnihotri gave directions to RTDC for bringing the NABARD guidelines for development of ropeways in the State under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund in Cabinet meeting immediately for its approval, so that the construction of composite ropeways for providing connectivity to 329 unconnected habitations (250 plus population) as well as carriage of Agriculture and Horticulture produce could be taken up under NABARD RIDF in a big way.
He further directed RTDC to make efforts for developing atleast one ropeway per district in the next five years for providing connectivity, employment generation as well as enhancing tourism potential.He also directed the officers to explore possibilities of developing ropeways for Mata Chintpurni and Baba Balak Nath ji temples.
Principal Secretary Transport, R.D. Nazeem, Director RTDC Ajay Sharma, Chief General Manager RTDC Rohit Thakur and other senior functionaries of the corporation were present in the meeting.