Guwahati: The installation of a cable car or ropeway in Aizawl resulted in a wasteful expenditure by the Mizoram government of Rs. 15.09 crore, according to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).
According to the CAG report which was presented to the assembly on February 16 by the chief minister Zoramthanga, the Union Ministry of Tourism approved spending of Rs. 99.07 crore in March 2017. This is in accordance with the Swadesh Darshan Scheme’s Eco-circuits theme and will be used to build ecoadventure circuits in Aizawl and Mamit town in the western part of the state. It stated that the projects have to be finished and put into service within 30 months.
According to the sanction order, the state government must obtain all required approvals before beginning the project and must form a committee to oversee its physical and financial development which will be chaired by the tourism secretary.
The Ministry of Tourism shall receive the status report every three months. The state government has hired a consultant to help with the creation of an eco-adventure project in 2017. 2.97 crore rupees have been paid as consulting fees.
It should be noted that the consultant’s duties also included clearing the land and conducting a site study.
According to the report, two businesses completed the project’s components including the cable car between Durtlang and Chaltlang throughout restricted tenders in August/September 2017. The project was expected to be finished by December 2018.
From September 2019 to November 2018, the state tourist department’s Mizoram Tourism Development Agency (MTDA) incurred expenses of Rs. 15.09 crore to pay contractors for the installation of a cable car that will connect Durtlang and Chaltlang in Aizaw.