Jammu, Feb 10 (JKNS): Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday told the Legislative Assembly that the controversial ropeway project for the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine was approved prior to the formation of the elected government and that neither his cabinet nor the Administrative Council had taken any decision on the matter.
Clarifying the issue during the House proceedings, as per news agency JKNS, CM Omar Abdullah said he personally examined official records after claims were made that the cabinet had cleared the project.
“After checking cabinet records, I found no such approval,” he said, as per news agency JKNS.
Chief Minister said he also reviewed decisions taken by the Administrative Council before his government assumed office but found that the project did not figure there either.
“The approval was granted by the Lieutenant Governor in September 2024, at a time when there was no elected government in place,” he informed the House.
Omar Abdullah cautioned against making unverified claims on sensitive public issues, stating that such statements mislead legislators as well as the public at large. He stressed the need for placing facts accurately on record.
Referring to the statement made by MLA Baldev Raj Sharma from the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi constituency, the Chief Minister said the legislator had spoken in an emotional context and had even offered to resign if his claim about cabinet approval was found to be incorrect.
Earlier, the MLA had asserted in the Assembly that the cabinet had approved the ropeway project and said he would step down if proven otherwise. (JKNS)
