SRINAGAR: Dr Arun Kumar Mehta Chief Secretary today chaired the 33rd meeting of Board of Directors (BoD) of the J&K Cable Car Corporation (JKCCC) here in which important decisions regarding expansion of activities of the corporation were taken by the members of the Board.Principal Secretary for Finance, Secretary for Tourism, Director for Tourism in Kashmir, DG for Budget, DG for Expenditure Division-I, MD for JKCCC, and other relevant officers were present at the meeting. Dr. Mehta urged the officers to begin work on maintaining and upgrading Gulmarg Gandola as soon as possible because it is a significant asset of the company and hosts hundreds of tourists each month during the BoD meeting. To protect the security and comfort of the tourists, he requested that a technical team do complete inspections of all of its installations.The Chief Secretary instructed the Corporation’s officers to investigate the possibilities of building many cable car projects throughout the UT’s tourism destinations. He suggested that they consider visiting tourist locations that are not included in other programmes like Bharat Mala. Dr. Mehta noted that numerous popular tourist destinations, including Sarthal, Mantalai, Sanasar, Doodhpathri, Baderwah, and Baisaran (Pahalgam), have a great deal of potential to draw tourists if cable car projects are established there.He suggested that a Public-Private Partnership structure be considered for carrying out these projects in a timely way. The Chief Secretary urged the officials to begin the Peerkhoo-Mubarak Mandi vertical lift project immediately. The long-awaited project, according to him, need to be turned into a new Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex attraction. The package includes connecting it to the Bahu Fort and Mahamaya Temple complex, two popular tourist destinations. The Chief Secretary further instructed the Corporation to reconsider the Makhdoom Sahib Ropeway project’s alignment so that the lower boarding station is easily reachable by pilgrims ascending to the Sufi Shrine.He instructed them to extend the ropeway all the way to the Hari Parbat Fort in order to draw more people to this attraction. The installation of approximately six drag lifts at locations in Sonamarg, Doodhpathri, Gulmarg, Kangdoori, Padri (Baderwah), and Sanasar to promote skiing at these locations was one of the agenda issues that the Board debated during the meeting. The company will also build ski stores at each of the aforementioned areas in order for the sport to flourish there. The Board was informed that the corporation is erecting a vertical lift between Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex and Peerkho Station of the Jammu Ropeway Project at an anticipated cost of roughly Rs 27 Cr.The project was divided into two sections, the first of which included two horizontal footbridges with spans of 34 and 30 metres and a vertical rise of 38 and 30 metres. The Project will feature three stations, two viewing decks, and parking, it was also added. A total of 13 people can ride on the vertical lift at once. Regarding the Corporation’s performance, the Board was informed that notwithstanding Covid-19 limits in effect during that time, the Corporation generated a net profit of Rs. 20.21 Cr. from 2019–20 to 2021–22. The corporation’s financial situation has significantly improved over the past several years, and during the fiscal year 2022–2023, it achieved a record-high revenue of Rs 100 Cr, earning accolades from none other than Union Finance Minister herself during her Budget speech.
