Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, January 20
The Himachal Pradesh government has announced plans to build Asia’s largest zipline project at Naddi near Dharamshala, as it steps up efforts to modernise transport services and improve road safety across the state.
Chairing the fifth meeting of the State Transport Development and Road Safety Council in Shimla on Tuesday, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said the transport department’s revenue had risen by 37% during the Congress government’s tenure, compared with the previous administration.
Agnihotri said the department had generated around ₹2,600 crore in revenue since the current government took office, up from about ₹1,500 crore under the earlier regime. He described the increase as a result of reforms aimed at efficiency and transparency.
The Deputy Chief Minister said a 4.2-kilometre-long zipline project was being developed at Naddi, which he said would be a fully green initiative. He added that no trees would be felled for the project, which is expected to become the largest of its kind in Asia.
He also said the transport department was moving towards an auto-approval system to reduce the role of officials such as RTOs and MVIs. Several services, including goods carriage permits and driving licences, will be available online, while vehicle fitness testing will be carried out through mobile units.
Commenting on the Shimla ropeway project, Agnihotri said it was running four to five years behind schedule. He added that rising costs had prompted the state to seek the central government’s opinion, as 80% of the project’s funding is to come from the Centre.
The Deputy Chief Minister said automated testing stations (ATS) were being set up across the state, with private facilities planned in Kangra, Sirmaur and Mandi, and government-run stations in Haroli and Nadaun.
He said the state’s vehicle scrapping policy was also being implemented, with centres established in Solan and Hamirpur. So far, 1,692 old vehicles have been scrapped.
Under the Rajiv Gandhi e-Taxi Scheme, the government is offering a 50% subsidy on new e-taxis and a 40% subsidy for converting old taxis to electric vehicles. In the first phase, 1,000 taxis are to be converted. The state has also approved the purchase of 390 e-buses with a 30% subsidy.
Applications for e-taxis will be accepted from January 15 to February 4, while applications for e-buses will be open until 8 February. The deputy chief minister added that efforts were under way to strengthen the e-challan system and improve safety at nearly 600 identified accident black spots.
