Himachal-Punjab ink 3.75 km ropeway pact

Shimla : Two well known religious shrines in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab will soon be connected by a 3.75 km ropeway to be built at a cost of Rs 85 crore .

An agreement was signed in the presence of both chief ministers P.K.Dhumal and Prakash Singh Badal here Thursday .

Connecting Naina Devi shrine in Himachal and Anandpur Sahib in Punjab . Bulk of the ropeway will fall in Punjab .

The project will be shared equally by both the neighbouring states and will be completed in three years .

The project would be executed in public-private partnership model and build-operate-and-transfer basis by creating a special purpose vehicle.

Badal said 70 per cent of the devotees visiting Naina Devi every year 90 per cent also visit Anandpur Sahib as well .

Dhumal said connecting the two shrines will not only reduce the distance but will also reduce traffic pollution .