Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 3 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday attended a review meeting with Union Road Minister Nitin Gadkari on the ropeway project developments in the state.

Earlier in the day, Dhami praised Gadkari and said there was no better teacher than him.

Addressing the convocation ceremony of the Graphic Era Deemed University in Dehradun, Dhami stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state had been working towards becoming a leader in education.

'If you want to learn the art of project management, then there can be no better teacher than Gadkari ji... His speciality is completing very important projects at a low cost. You have won the hearts of the people by building a network of roads from small villages to remote hilly areas of the state,' Dhami stated.

'Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, our state government is working to make Uttarakhand a leader in education, like other regions. Machine learning, AI and big data courses are being conducted in colleges. Scientific research is being promoted in the state,' Dhami further added.

In March, the Union Cabinet approved the construction of a ropeway project from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib Ji in Uttarakhand.

The 12.4-kilometre project will be developed at a total capital cost of Rs 2,730.13 crore.

Currently, the journey to the Hemkund Sahib Ji is a challenging 21-km uphill trek from Govindghat, which can be done on foot, with ponies or palanquins.

The proposed ropeway is planned to provide convenience to pilgrims visiting the Hemkund Sahib Ji and tourists visiting the Valley of Flowers. It will also ensure all-weather last-mile connectivity between Govindghat and Hemkund Sahib Ji.

The ropeway is planned to be developed in a public-private partnership and will be based on a Monocable Detachable Gondola (MDG) from Govindghat to Ghangaria (10.55 km), seamlessly integrated with the most advanced Tricable Detachable Gondola (3S) technology from Ghangaria to Hemkund Sahib Ji (1.85 km). Its design capacity is 1,100 passengers per hour per direction (PPHPD), carrying 11,000 passengers per day.

The ropeway project will also generate substantial employment opportunities during construction and operations, as well as in allied tourism industries like hospitality, travel, food & beverage (F&B) and tourism throughout the year. (ANI)