Srinagar Nov 2 (KNS): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has granted clearance to the Jammu and Kashmir government to proceed with the proposed cable car project in Baisaran, Pahalgam, officials said on Sunday. The tourist spot was the site of the April 22 terror attack that claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists, in an assault carried out by Pakistan-based terrorists.

Officials said the NIA was approached by the Union Territory administration for its opinion before restarting the project. “We were asked about our views regarding the cable car project, and we conveyed that we do not have any objection from the investigation angle,” an NIA official said.

In a written reply to an unstarred question raised by Pahalgam MLA Altaf Ahmad Wani in the Assembly on October 27, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also holds the tourism portfolio, confirmed that the project work had been allotted but could not begin due to the “post-Pahalgam scenario.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel”

The 1.4-kilometre cable car will connect Yatri Niwas in Pahalgam to Baisaran. The Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation (JKCCC) identified the alignment and stated that around 9.13 hectares of land, belonging to the Forest Department, would be used for the project.

JKCCC has already floated tenders for consultancy and project report preparation. The work has been awarded to Ronmas India Pvt. Ltd., but the company was unable to carry out on-site studies after the terror incident. The agency has now sought permission to visit the area for topographical and geotechnical surveys.

The Department of Tourism said the project, estimated to cost between Rs 100 crore and Rs 120 crore, is expected to be completed within 18 months once work resumes.(KNS)