Darjeeling: A plan by the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration and the Bengal tourism department to set up a number of ropeways has evoked lukewarm response from tour operators, who have outlined other, more pressing priorities.

The GTA has planned ropeways to connect Daliwith Rock Garden in Darjeeling, Deolo with Relli in Kalimpong and Giddepahar with Rohini in Kurseong. Work on the Giddepahar-Rohini ropeway has already started.

In addition to these, the state tourism department intends to set up a ropeway in Mirik and is looking at a proposal to connect Bengal and Sikkim through a ropeway, even though the plans are at a formative stage.

Darjeeling already has a ropeway from Singamari to Tukvar. In Sikkim, there are two ropeways, at Gangtok and Changu Lake

"In most cases, the same tourists visit all places, including Sikkim. How many (ropeway) rides will they undertake? The hills and Sikkim are dotted with monasteries and even now tourists are not interested in visiting monasteries after they visit one or two of them," said a tour operator.

Another pointed out that in Europe, ropeways were built instead of railways as they were more cost-effective.

"Here we are looking at matters from a tourist's point of view. So many ropeways will be unviable in the long run," said the operator.

Tourism stakeholders in Darjeeling insist that the administration should focus on other aspects, such as maintaining the greenery.

"The administration should look at rehabilitating the hawkers around the Mall Road. Expanding footpaths in the town, working on sewerage systems and making the town cleaner should be an immediate goal, apart from improving infrastructure and making drinking water available in insufficient quantities," said another operator.

Some urged the administration to hire a consultant to draw up a tourism master plan. "An expert should be hired to draw up a tourism master plan for the region to identify the areas that can be developed so that visitors flock to places across the hills," he said.

The biggest worry for Darjeeling tour operators is competition from Sikkim. "Tourists are now spending two to three nights in Darjeeling and seven to eight nights in Sikkim. We need to offer more places. Although Darjeeling is famous for tea gardens, most gardens, with the exception of Happy Valley and Tukvar, are reluctant to allow tourists to visit their factories," one operator said.

However, most operators expressed satisfaction that the Mirik Lake was being developed after years of neglect.