Residents oppose ropeway to Bijli Mahadev in Kullu

Abhinav Vashisht

KULLU, JUNE 2

The Bijli Mahadev Ropeway is witnessing heavy opposition. Hundreds of residents of Kharal and Kashawari valleys took out a protest march from Sarwari to Dhalpur against the setting up of the ropeway here today. They raised slogans against the government and demanded that the project should be shunned altogether. They also submitted a memorandum to the Kullu DC.

Jiya panchayat president Sanjeev said that the deity Bijli Mahadev had orated through his oracle that any tampering with the barren mountain in the territory, from where the ropeway is proposed, will not be tolerated. He said that it had also been decided by the committee in the general house that the ropeway would not be allowed. He said, “Bijli Mahadev is our deity and we will abide by the decision makers and not the government or administration.”

Puid panchayat president Sarchand Thakur said about 300 trees were earmarked to be axed for the ropeway but green felling will not be allowed. He said that even the Supreme Court had given strict orders against green felling though the local MLA was boasting that the FCA clearance had been obtained within seven days.

He alleged that the kardar had been pressurised by the MLA to give consent to the ropeway. “Only the ropeway company and a few others getting commission will be benefited and the ropeway will be of no good to the locals,” he said, adding that instead, road connectivity should be improved in the region to boost the economy of the area and generate self-employment opportunities.

A 2.7-km-long ropeway at a cost of Rs 240 crore is proposed from Pirdi near Kullu to Bijli Mahadev on top of the Kharal hill opposite Kullu town. Eight companies participated in the tenders invited by the National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), Company of the Government of India, which were opened on April 17 and were being technically examined.

Earlier the Bijli Mahadev Temple Management Committee had consented to the construction of the Kullu-Bijli Mahadev ropeway on certain conditions on May 29. The DC had stated that the ropeway would be constructed keeping in mind the conditions laid down by the temple committee. However, later the ‘hariyans’ (residents of deity’s area) along with the kardar (caretaker) and temple management committee gave a memorandum to the DC opposing the ropeway.

Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sunder Singh Thakur said, “We have full faith in Dev Parampara, but politics is not acceptable in the name of Dev Parampara.”