Kurseong, 28 January: The GTA chief, Mr Bimal Gurung, today laid the foundation stone for a passenger ropeway that will ply between Giddha Pahar and Jagadhamba Mandir at Rohini Kurseong.
Addressing the function at the Rock Garden at Giddha Pahar here, Mr Gurung laid stress on tourism in the Hills and its different aspects. He said the onus of making the cable car service a success now lies with the people of Kurseong. He added that the 1.5-km ropeway will benefit people of all walks of life in Kurseong, and not only the tourists.Mr Gurung further said that the government cannot provide jobs for every individual and, as such, people should think about self employment and how they can generate incomes through that.
According to him, as tourists now look for remote villages and a taste of organic food there, people must concentrate on eco-tourism and village tourism, so that they can find self-employment and generate good income.
Mr Gurung also directed GTA tourism officials to add more tourism infrastructure at Giddha Pahar and Rohini to attract more tourists. According to him, the ropeway alone will not help attract tourists and local people in large numbers.
He further said that the GTA has already come up with different projects to develop the Kurseong region. He said a medical college is set to be inaugurated in Kurseong town, while the GTA has plans to promote the Chimney region as a tourist destination.
Mr Gurung said the ropeway service will be extended to new stations between Jagadhamba Mandir and the Rohini guest house. The guest house is presently in an abandoned state and lying in utter neglect.
He added that the GTA has decided to build another ropeway between Giddha Pahar and the INS bus terminus to ease the traffic congestion in the main town.
Mr Gurung has ordered all the authorities concerned to complete the project within a year. The GTA Tourism executive director, Mr Sonam Bhutia, said that Rs 4 crore had been sanctioned for the ropeway project. “But now, as more plans are being initiated, the project will definitely require more funds,” he said. According to him, the first phase of the programme is expected to be completed within 18 months.(SNS)