JAMMU: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday clarified in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly that the Council of Ministers had no role in approving the ropeway project for the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.
Responding to claims made in the House, the Chief Minister said he personally verified official records and found that neither the Cabinet nor the Administrative Council had cleared the project.
“One member stated that the Cabinet approved the ropeway project. After checking the records, it is clear that the Cabinet did not approve it. It was also not a decision of the Administrative Council,” Omar Abdullah said.
He informed the House that the ropeway project was approved by the Lieutenant Governor in September 2024, prior to the formation of the elected government.
The Chief Minister cautioned that incorrect claims were misleading both the Assembly and the public. Referring to the heated debate on the issue, he said, “In an emotional moment, the member had yesterday even threatened to resign.”
MLA from the Mata Vaishno Devi constituency, Baldev Raj Sharma, had on Monday claimed that the Cabinet had approved the ropeway project and asserted that he would resign if his statement was proven wrong.
Omar Abdullah’s clarification came amid ongoing political debate and public discussion surrounding the proposed ropeway project.
