Dehradun, Dec. 13 -- All ropeway proposals in Uttarakhand will now require mandatory approval from the state's Steering Committee for Ropeway Development to prevent duplication of projects and ensure coordinated execution, chief secretary Anand Bardhan said on Friday. Presiding over a meeting of the Ropeway Development Committee at the Secretariat, Bardhan directed officials to streamline planning for upcoming ropeway corridors and speed up work on priority projects under the Centre's Parvatmala Scheme. Bardhan said the first board meeting of the Ropeway Development Committee must be convened by the end of December. "The secretary of tourism will serve as the member secretary of the committee. National Highway Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) must appoint the CEO of the special purpose vehicle (SPV) within a week so that the first board meeting can be held as scheduled," he said. Officials informed the meeting that the state government has proposed 50 ropeway projects across Uttarakhand. Of these, six have been identified as priority routes. Work orders have already been issued for the Sonprayag-Kedarnath and Govindghat-Hemkund Sahib ropeways, two major religious corridors expected to significantly ease pilgrim travel. The ropeway from Kathgodam to Hanumangarhi Temple in Nainital is at the approval stage. The chief secretary also directed that Kainchi Dham be incorporated into this ropeway route, noting the sharp rise in pilgrims visiting the shrine. The detailed project report (DPR) for the Kanakchauri-Kartik Swami ropeway is being prepared, while the tender process for DPRs for the Raithal-Barsu-Barnala (Uttarkashi) and Joshimath-Auli-Gairsain ropeways is underway. Bardhan instructed departments to prepare a long-term roadmap for new ropeway-linked tourist destinations and local route expansion expected over the next 5-10 years. He also directed the preparation of project timelines and charts for the two major ropeways under the Parvatmala scheme- a 12.9 km ropeway from Sonprayag to Kedarnath costing Rs.4,100 crore, and a 12.4 km corridor from Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib valued at over Rs.2,700 crore.. In September, the state government signed an agreement with the National Highway Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) to build ropeways to Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib under the scheme. The equity structure is divided as such that NHLML holds 51% and the state government 49%. As per the revenue-sharing model, 90% of earnings will be reinvested into tourism, and transport infrastructure, officials said....