Jammu ropeway project will boost tourism: Sethi

Jammu and Kashmir Minister of State for Tourism Priya Sethi today said the state ropeway project will boost tourism and add to aesthetics of the city.

Sethi also reviewed the preparedness for a trial-run of the project scheduled for this month.

The minister, accompanied by divisional commissioner Hemant Kumar Sharma, managing director cable car corporation Shamim Ahmad Wani visited Peerkho -- the first take off point, the Mahamaya temple - second landing bay area and Bagh-e-Bahu -- the third and final destination where huge chunk of land has been acquired for developing parking, restaurant, landscaping.

Sethi issued on-spot directions to the officials of JK cable car corporation to expedite work and ensure that first trial between the Mahamaya Temple and Bagh-e-Bahu is conducted in time.

The project, she said, is of utmost importance and going to be the biggest tourist attraction, besides adding to aesthetics of Jammu city.

She said that successful trial-run of eight coaches will encourage the engineers, which in turn will boost their morale to complete first ropeway as well.

In the initial stages, eight cable cars will be put on trial this month and then 12 more cars will be made operational on first stretch connecting both ends of river Tawi in the middle of this year.

They said that work on approach roads and construction of retaining wall at Bahu, besides restaurants at all places are in the completion stages.