Ropeway project approved by L-G, not Cabinet: Omar Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday categorically stated in the Legislative Assembly that the ropeway project to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine was approved by the Lieutenant Governor in 2024, shortly before the formation of the elected government, and not by the state cabinet or the Administrative Council.

Setting the record straight, the Chief Minister said he had personally examined the official files related to the project.

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“One member claimed that the cabinet had approved the ropeway project. I checked the records and found that the cabinet did not approve it. It was also not a decision of the Administrative Council,” Omar Abdullah told the House.

Emphasising the Lieutenant Governor’s role, he added, “The project was approved by the Lieutenant Governor in September 2024, before the formation of the elected government.”

He asserted that both the House and the public were being misled on the issue, noting that “in an emotional moment, the member had yesterday even threatened to resign.”

The Chief Minister’s remarks came a day after BJP MLA from the Mata Vaishno Devi constituency, Baldev Raj Sharma, claimed in the Assembly that the cabinet had approved the project and said he would resign if his statement was proved incorrect.

The Assembly on Monday witnessed heated exchanges over the issue.

The controversy began when Independent MLA from Bani, Dr Rameshwar Singh, during the Budget discussion, referred to long-standing protests by local residents, traders, hoteliers, and other stakeholders in Katra against the proposed Katra–Mata Vaishno Devi ropeway project. He argued that the project should be shelved in the larger interests of the people of Katra and the region.

Objecting to these remarks, BJP MLA Baldev Raj Sharma claimed that the project had been initiated after approval by the present Omar Abdullah-led government and that substantial funds had already been allocated. He said the Modi government was committed to the comprehensive development of Katra and to improving facilities for pilgrims visiting the shrine from across the country and abroad.

However, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary also clarified in the House that no cabinet meeting had ever been held to grant approval for the construction of the ropeway project at Katra.