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Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday lauded the Union Cabinet's decisions approving the construction of ropeway projects to Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib shrines and said these initiatives will help devotees complete their journey comfortably in far less time.
He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on behalf of 1.25 crore people of the state for the decisions of the Union Cabinet. "I thank PM Modi on behalf of 1.25 crore people of Uttarakhand. There has been demand for ropeways in Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib for a long time .After union cabinet's approval today, these projects will become a reality. The projects will also boost the economy, will make yatra easier. I thank PM Modi and entire cabinet," he said. The Chief Minister said PM Modi had laid the foundation stone of the projects. He said the long journey to the two pilgrim sites, which old citizens and those not bodily strong often find difficult, will get easy. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by PM Modi, on Wednesday approved the construction of 12.9 km ropeway project from Sonprayag to Kedarnath (12.9 km) in Uttarakhand. The project will be developed on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) mode at a total capital cost of Rs. 4,081.28 crore. The ropeway is planned to be developed in public-private partnership and will be based on the most advanced Tri-cable Detachable Gondola (3S) technology with a design capacity of 1,800 passengers per hour per direction (PPHPD) and can carry 18,000 passengers per day. The ropeway project will be a boon to the pilgrims visiting Kedarnath as it would provide an environment-friendly, comfortable and fast connectivity and reduce travel time in one direction from about 8 to 9 hours to about 36 minutes. An official release said the ropeway project will also generate substantial employment opportunities during construction and operations as well as in allied tourism industries like hospitality, travel, foods & beverages (F&B) and tourism throughout the year. CCEA also approved the construction of 12.4 km ropeway project from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand. The project will be developed on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) mode at a total capital cost of Rs. 2,730.13 crore. An official release said that journey to the Hemkund Sahib, at present, is a challenging 21-km uphill trek from Govindghat and is covered on foot or by ponies or palanquins. The proposed ropeway is planned to provide convenience to pilgrims and visiting the Hemkund Sahib and the tourists visiting the Valley of Flowers and will ensure all-weather last mile connectivity between Govindghat and Hemkund Sahib. The release said that ropeway project will also generate substantial employment opportunities during construction and operations as well as in allied tourism industries like hospitality, travel, foods & beverages (F&B) and tourism throughout the year. PM Modi had in October 2022 laid the foundation stone of road and ropeway projects worth more than Rs 3400 crore in Mana, Uttarakhand. In his speech on the occasion, he had mentioned the two proposed ropeways Kedarnath to Gaurikund and Hemkund ropeway and credited the inspiration and progress to the blessings of Baba Kedarnath, Badri Vishal and Sikh Gurus. The Prime Minister said devotees all over the world will rejoice in this unprecedented initiative. (ANI)
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