Private cos to develop cable car in U'khand

The Uttarakhand Tourism Department has decided to invite private players to set up a cable car between the hill resort of Mussoorie and Dehra Dun with an investment of Rs 700 crore (Rs 7 billion) that will reduce the distance to less than 25 minutes. The road distance between Mussoorie and Dehra Dun is 35 km and it takes one hour to cover the distance.

Uttarakhand Infrastructure Projects Company Pvt Ltd (UIPC), a joint venture between the state government and IL&FS, has been asked to prepare the DPR for the cable project.

The proposed cable car will start from Purkul village at the foothills of Mussoorie where a five-star hotel and an amusement park are also being proposed. The mid-point of the cable car will be George Everest Estate, which will be covered in less than 12 minutes.

After a two-minute halt, the distance between George Everest Estate and Library area in Mussorie will be covered in the same time.

"This will be one of the mega projects that will be put on the fast track by the tourism department shortly," Uttarakhand Tourism Secretary Rakesh Sharma said.

The government is also trying to develop George Everest Estate as a major hub for eco-tourism.

The government will shortly float a request for proposal (RFP) and request for qualification (RFQ) to invite bids for the project.

Significantly, Videocon Industries recently evinced interest in the hotel sector and said it was ready to invest Rs 600 crore in the state. Videocon chief V N Dhoot said the company would like to set up a five-star hotel and an amusement park at the foothills of Mussoorie.

However, Sharma said the government was of the view that the project should be taken up by a consortium that has the ability to develop all its major components.