Sky Is The Limit

With the state government giving special clearance for the acquisition of land, work will begin on the Rs 5,000-crore Himachal Ski Village project in the Kullu Valley. The US firm behind the project is owned by Alfred Ford, Henry Ford’s great grandson. The Himachal Tenency and Reforms Act, 1972, bars transfer of land to non-agriculturists. But the government, keen to attract FDI into the state, has given the go-ahead. The project at a height of 8,500 feet will have hotels, parks, shopping malls and ski slopes. There is a proposal to also construct an airport but that has yet to get necessary clearances from the civil aviation authorities. The Ski Village will cater to upmarket tourists, both foreign and domestic. In the first phase the US company will invest Rs 2,000 crore.