Nandi Hills ropeway work to start in 15 days

Work on the ropeway project at Nandi Hills, a popular tourist haunt near Bengaluru, will start before March 15, Tourism Minister Anand Singh said on Tuesday.

The public-private partnership (PPP) project will be taken up at a cost of Rs 96 crore.

The long-pending project is expected to be completed in 30 months.

On development works at Anjanadri Hills, the fabled birthplace of Hanuman, Singh said there was a proposal to construct a ropeway there as well. “Work on construction of a dormitory will begin soon at a cost of Rs 20 crore. As far as the ropeway is concerned, there is some issue with private land and we will begin work after sorting it out,” Singh added.

However, ropeway projects at Kodachadri and Yaana will be undertaken by the union government as those destinations have been identified under the ‘Parvatamala’ scheme, he said.

The state-run Jungle Lodges and Resorts (JLR) have registered a turnover of Rs 98.2 crore up to February, Singh said, adding that the profit is Rs 15 crore. “We were under losses during the Covid-19 pandemic. We have made a recovery this year,” the minister said.

Meanwhile, JLR will soon operate from five new destinations: Sasihithlu in Dakshina Kannada, Chincholi in Kalaburagi, Sakrebailu in Shivamogga, Byndur in Udupi and Manchanabele in Ramanagara district at a total cost of around Rs 50 crore.

‘Confident about Vijayanagar’

Expressing confidence over the BJP winning all five Legislative Assembly constituencies in Vijayanagar district, Singh said that the party had entrusted him with the responsibility.

On rumours that his son would contest the upcoming Assembly election, Singh said: “They are just rumours and I will contest.”