Six Months In Saddle, Government Still To Decide About Himalayan Ski Village Project: GS Bali

Shimla: The new government has been at the helm of affairs for about six months and yet it has not scrapped the Himalayan Ski Village project or given its go ahead for executing it, said GS Bali, the former transport and tourism minister.

Speaking to the media, Bali said, when it opposition the BJP had voraciously opposed the Himalayan Ski Village project and had gone to the extent of saying that they would trash it if they came to power.

“The new government has been in power for about six months, why is the government hesitating to take any decision on the project,” he said in support of vindicating his stand for the project.

The congress government was for the Himalayan Ski Village project and I still endorse that view, said Bali.

Talking about the changes incorporated in the hydro power policy that has changed the norms for allotting projects by having a fixed upfront amount per MW and keeping the free power offered by the entrepreneur as the variable option that would be open for bidding, Bali said that both the upfront money and free power offered should be part of the bidding process.

The states interests lay in getting the best deal from giving out any project, he said. A project secured on low upfront money and high free power bid win basis could turn a loser to the state exchequer when the project gets delayed. Moreover it would give rise to project trading and cause delays in actually getting them executed, said Bali.

The government needs to clarify the new hydro policy for allotting projects and how it was benefiting the state, he said.

Speaking in defense of Build, Operate, Transfer (BOT) policy for developmental projects, the former minister said that the new government was coming around to the policy which was adopted by the previous government.

Bali said that he supported the government’s intentions of setting up a SEZ with an international airport in Una.

Welcoming the governments move to establish more medical colleges in the state, Bali said that there was an urgent need to staff the RP Tanda Medical college as well as start post graduate courses for having sufficient human resource available for the proposed new medical colleges.

Pointing out the transport corporations (HRTC) plans of buying more luxury Volvo buses, the former transport minister recalled the resistance the BJP had put up as an opposition party when he had introduced the Volvo buses into the state transport fleet.

“If they were bad then, how they are good today, he questioned.

Ravinder Makhaik

As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads the team of media professionals at Hill Post.

In a career spanning over two decades through all formats of journalism in Electronic, Print and Online Media, he brings with him enough experience to steer this platform. He lives in Shimla.