HARIDWAR: One of the major centres for spiritual tourism in the country, Haridwar is currently grappling with the uncertain fate of two major projects: the Har-ki-Pauri corridor and the pod car.
Traders and residents in Haridwar, who feel that the projects would resolve the city's traffic woes and boost local commerce, have expressed displeasure over the delay in the implementation of the vital projects.
While the authorities blamed the delays on a lack of interest from project-implementing companies during the tender process, locals are far from convinced.
District magistrate Dheeraj Singh Garbyal said that a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Har-ki-Pauri corridor was dispatched on February 23 to engage a consultant. After nearly eight months of the RFP issuance, Anshul Singh, vice-chairman of the Haridwar-Roorkee Development Authority (HRDA), stated, "A consultant is likely to be appointed within the next 10 to 15 days." Singh added that a company tasked with executing the corridor project was recently established under the Company Act.
It included, among others, the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) vice-chairman and secretary, along with HRDA vice-chairman and secretary.
According to the officials, a tender was floated approximately two months ago for the pod car project.
However, it failed to attract any responses from potential bidders. Speaking to TOI, an official from the Uttarakhand Metro Rail Corporation (UKMRC) said, "Nobody is willing to participate in the tendering process for the pod car project." The official alleged that certain local political leaders have privately supported the pod car project while instructing their associates to publicly oppose it, causing confusion and frustration among stakeholders.
Meanwhile, organisations representing traders and various social sections have expressed displeasure with the administration's delay in making a final decision on these vital projects.
They have called for clarity regarding the status of the two initiatives.
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