The Gujarat High Court today issued a notice to the state government on a petition challenging a plan to build a rope-way at the Mount Girnar.
Girnar Dollu Mazdoor Mandal, an association of local palanquin-bearers, said the rope-way would deprive the local people, who carry pilgrims up the hill in palanquins, of their livelihood.
Justice Rajesh H Shukha issued notices to the state government and the Junagadh district collector, adjourning the hearing to November 10.
If the rope-way is built, the government should provide them with alternative livelihood as they would lose their traditional work, the association said in its petition.
Nearly 170 people in the area are associated with this profession, the petition said.
The Union Ministry of Environment recently gave clearance for the rope-way project which was in the pipeline for more than three decades.
Narendra Modi, when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, had laid the foundation stone for the rope-way, but there has been no progress in work because of the issue of environment clearances.
Mount Girnar is a major pilgrimage site. The rope-way is proposed to be constructed by the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited.
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