CS pushes ropeway projects, strengthening BRIDCUL

Dehradun: Uttarakhand chief secretary Anand Bardhan on Monday directed officials to empower BRIDCUL as the nodal agency for ropeway projects and draft its roles and responsibilities.At a review meeting, he formed a sub-committee under the principal secretary to prioritise projects, with tourism, housing, PWD, and civil aviation officials as members. Ropeway locations will be decided by the tourism department and local administration. Bardhan also ordered inclusion of a ropeway under the Jageshwar Dham scheme.He asked officials to resolve issues with the Mussoorie ropeway’s lower terminal within three days and complete the project on time. Reviewing Hemkund Sahib and Kedarnath ropeways, he directed a dry run at Kedarnath, identification of unsafe spots, and simultaneous survey and construction of bridges and bypasses. Parking arrangements at Kedarnath’s lower terminal and land transfer were also stressed.Officials said the Kedarnath ropeway agreement and LoA have been issued, LiDAR survey completed, and technical surveys underway. For Hemkund Sahib, the LoA has been issued and land surveys are in progress.