Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government plans to develop ropeway projects under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and Externally Aided Project (EAP) modes, as high construction costs have made it difficult for the state to take forward several projects, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said in the Assembly on Wednesday.Sukhu was responding to a question raised by Congress MLA from Arki, Sanjay Awasthy, on the status and cost of ropeway projects, private investment and plans to connect tourist destinations through ropeways on the ninth day of the ongoing Monsoon Session of the state Assembly.
The Chief Minister said connecting tourist destinations through ropeways was a priority of his government, but the high cost involved required greater participation from private investors and external agencies.
“The government intends to connect all tourist destinations with ropeways, but the associated costs are quite high. The government is also open to considering proposals from those wishing to set up ropeways under the PPP or EAP models,” Sukhu said.
He added that the government would also look at expediting approvals under the Forest Conservation Act (FCA) where forest clearances cause delays in implementation of ropeway projects.
