New Delhi, Nov 2: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has granted clearance to the Jammu and Kashmir government for the proposed cable car project in Baisaran, Pahalgam, where a deadly terror attack on April 22 claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists, officials said on Sunday.
The Union Territory administration had sought the NIA’s approval since the project area falls within the jurisdiction of the ongoing terror probe. “We were asked about our views regarding the project, and we conveyed that we have no objection from the investigation angle,” an NIA official confirmed.
Responding to an unstarred question in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on October 27, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also holds the tourism portfolio, said the 1.4-km cable car project will connect Yatri Niwas in Pahalgam with Baisaran, covering 9.13 hectares of forest land.
The project, estimated to cost ₹100–120 crore, has been awarded to Ronmas India Pvt. Ltd., which will carry out topographical and geotechnical studies once formal site access is granted. The work, officials said, will be executed by the J&K Cable Car Corporation (JKCCC) and completed within 18 months of commencement.
The project had been temporarily halted “in view of the post-Pahalgam scenario,” officials added, as security agencies reviewed the safety implications following the April terror attack carried out by Pakistan-based terrorists. (Agencies)
