Pune:
An ambitious project of the Lonavla Municipal Council (LMC) to construct an amusement park and a ropeway that could attract more tourists to the hill station is stuck in red tape for three years.
Even after the state government earmarked 13 hectares of land to the LMC to implement the proposed project, the file is gathering dust in the state revenue department.
Speaking to DNA, LMC's CEO, Yogesh R Godse, said the council has completed the necessary formalities for the project and even paid the cost of the land to the state government.
"We have paid Rs5 crore for 13 hectares in Lonavla earmarked for the project. We have done our part and are awaiting the state revenue department's clearance. But no progress has taken place for three years," he said.
Godse said the state government earmarked the land in 2007 identifying the potential of the project as it could attract more tourists to the hill station. "Currently no such facilities are present in Lonavla. The proposed ropeway, which is included as part of the amusement park, will connect Lonavla with a valley near Khandala that would give the tourists an overview of the entire region," he said.
The ropeway starts from Rajamachi point to Kunenama in Lonavla and would be part of the amusement park. The project was first mooted during the tenure of Sushilkumar Shinde as chief minister, and the Pune district collector had identified the land for the proposed project.
Godse said as per the proposal it was to be constructed on the public private partnership model (PPP) model. "We are yet to work out the exact project cost as it needs a detailed project report which has to be worked out once the revenue department gives the clearance. Roughly it will cost something around Rs150 crore. Once the revenue ministry gives its nod it will be the urban development ministry which will be implementing the project," he said.
The project is part of the revised development plan (DP) of Lonavla prepared in 2006.
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