Staff Reporter
Guwahati: In a move that is likely to further improve accessibility to Kamakhya Mandir, the Government of India is set to implement an ambitious ropeway project from Kamakhya railway station to the Shaktipeeth atop the Nilachal Hills.
Estimated to cost Rs 201.52 crore, the ropeway project will be executed under the Central government's flagship Parvatmala Pariyojana (National Ropeways Development Programme).
The Centre has entrusted the National Highways Logistics Management Ltd (NHLML), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), to implement the project.
The public enterprise functions under the administrative guidance and strategic mandate of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
And, as part of the implementation process, NHLML floated a request for proposal (RFP) on October 21 for development, operation and maintenance of the ropeway project on design, build, finance, operate, and transfer (DBFOT) mode., a popular public-private partnership (PPP) model.
NHLML will carry out the bidding process for selection of a private entity as the bidder to whom the project may be awarded.
One of the most revered Shaktipeeths (or the seat of feminine divine energy) in the country, Kamakhya temple draws lakhs of pilgrims from various corners of the globe each year, especially during the annual Ambubachi, the period when Mother Earth is believed to be going through her menstrual cycle.
To handle the growing footfall of pilgrims atop the Nilachal hills, the government has of late initiated a number of measures to boost infrastructure in the vicinity of the ancient shrine.
As a part of the measure, an ambitious Maa Kamakhya Divyalok Pariyojana (Maa Kamakhya Access Corridor Project), a major redevelopment initiative at the revered Kamakhya temple, is currently underway.
Sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs 500 crore under the Prime Minister's Development Initiative for North Eastern Region (PM-DevINE) scheme, the foundation stone of the Maa Kamakhya Divyalok Pariyojana was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2024.
Its actual construction however commenced in July this year following legal clearances from the Gauhati High Court.
Modeled on the Kashi Vishwanath Dham corridor in Varanasi and the Mahakal Mahalok corridor in Ujjain, the Maa Kamakhya Access Corridor project is expected to multiply the pilgrim holding capacity in the ancient shrine, while better amenities would improve the overall experience of the devotees visiting the temple.
Also Read: NHPC Seeks Approval to Divert 3,278 Hectares of Arunachal Forest for Hydropower Project