Nandi hills cable car: tenders fail, govt seeks French experts

The Government's ambitious cable car project atop Nandi hills may soon receive French expertise. The move follows failed attempts to allot the project tenders.

According to the Chikkaballapur MLA, Dr K Sudhakar, the physiography of the hills is the cause of the trouble. Unlike other hills, Nandi Hills is a monolithic structure. There are no slopes, no edges and no differences (cuts) in slopes or change in height. It is problematic for investors, Sudhakar told DH.

He added that the project cost will not be a burden on the government as it will be undertaken on PPP model. However, the technical feasibility of the project is a challenge. Erecting pillars and creating slopes is tough in such a terrain.

So, the authorities have decided to consult experts from France to study the site and troubleshoot the issues, who will chalk out the technical details after undertaking a feasibility study.

The government proposed the idea of launching cable cars on the Nandi Hills in 2015-16. Over the last two years, three companies were in discussion with the authorities to take forward the project, but none of the proposals materialised.

Tourism Minister Priyank Kharge said that tenders were invited twice for the same project. The first tender was dropped because a single, technically unqualified bidder participated for it.

Tenders were recently invited for the second time.

Kharge said that when construction of cable cars is possible on the hills of Manipur and Darjeeling, it can be recreated here as well.

To make the process smoother, it was also decided that the interested companies can carry out a survey for the project. Because previously, the department had conducted a survey. But the company keen on implementing the project did not accept it.

Surveys for the cable car project was conducted by the forest department, public works department along with the horticulture department. The forest department had also given an in-principal clearance to the project.