“To John Sims, the Himalayas, with some of the finest mountain slopes in the world, seemed like the perfect place to build India's first Western-style ski resort,†Vikas Bajaj wrote in The New York Times.
But he got his first clue “about the uphill challenge he faced when the local gods - or at least the holy men who claimed to speak for them - came out against his project,†in Manali, Himachal Pradesh, Mr. Bajaj wrote.
In the seven years since, Mr. Sims, an American hotel developer with years of experience working in India, “has encountered seemingly endless setbacks,†Mr. Bajaj wrote.
Some opponents claimed falsely that the 115-acre project would take over the entire valley. Others complained that the developers had underpaid landowners for their property. The state of Himachal Pradesh, which had once championed the $500 million proposal, moved to scrap it after a different political party took over. Now, a court has allowed it to go forward but has given the developers just six months to secure environmental permits from a government that has repeatedly stalled the project.
“My fundamental complaint is only this: Why did you invite us?†Mr. Sims said. “Why did you take our deposit? Why did you encourage us to spend money and then make a 180-degree turn?â€
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