MYSORE: The foundation stone laying ceremony of the controversial ropeway project at Chamundi Hills, which was scheduled for Friday, has been deferred.

The Joint Commissioner of Tourism Gourishankar told The Hindu that the foundation stone laying ceremony will be held after a fortnight.

"No special reason needs to be attributed to the postponement of the function.

"The Minister for Tourism D.T. Jayakumar, who is also the in-charge of Udupi district, is busy with certain programmes in Udupi," he said.

Though the date has not been finalised, the programme will be held after fifteen days, Mr. Gourishankar said.

The deferment of the much-awaited ropeway project at Chamundi Hills assumes significance in view of the strong opposition from environmentalists and prominent citizens of the city, including a few members of the Mysore Agenda Task Force (MATF).

However, Mr. Gourishankar said the Department of Tourism had not received any petition against the ropeway project.

He said he had received information from the Deputy Commissioner that a representation opposing the project had been submitted to Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh during the latter's recent visit to Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir.

Mr. Jayakumar had announced recently that the foundation stone for the ropeway project will be laid on August 12 and the Government had entered into an agreement with M/S Sikka Traders for executing the Rs. 6.5-crore project in 18 months under a Build Own Operate and Transfer (BOOT) arrangement.

However, prominent citizens of the city, including Major General S.G. Vombatkere, Bhamy V. Shenoy, and M. Lakshmana, met Mr. Dharam Singh and urged him to scrap the project. They said that the Chamundi Hills is a heritage precinct and a ropeway will make it more vulnerable to wanton encroachment for commercial purpose and thereby ruin its environs.

The citizens had argued that Chamundi Hills is primarily a pilgrim site. "The money spent on ropeway project will not benefit tourism. It will, on the other hand, ruin the environment and heritage value of Chamundi Hills and actually defeat the purpose of tourism," they said in the representation submitted to Mr. Dharam Singh.

Sources in the Tourism Department said the ropeway project will not be abandoned. The project has received clearance from the Pollution Control Board.

The officials sought to allay the apprehensions over the impact the ropeway project will have on the flora and fauna of Chamundi Hills. Citing the case of other ropeway projects, which had already been constructed in Rajgir to reach Buddha Stupa in Bihar, Palani Hills in Tamil Nadu, and Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, the officials said the proposed ropeway at Chamundi Hills will be run by environment-friendly motors, and will be free from noise and sound pollution.

Officials said the department is even expected to invite the former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to lay the foundation stone for the project at Chamundi Hills, which comes under the Chamundeshwari Assembly Constituency which he represents.

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