By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 18 Jul: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today issued instructions to the officials concerned to ensure expansion of heli-services in the state. While chairing the ninth meeting of the Board of Directors of the Civil Aviation Development Authority in the Secretariat here, today, the CM emphasised that special attention should be paid to improving air connectivity in the state. He said that every district and important tourist place of the state should be connected with air service and work should be done rapidly in this direction.
Dhami added that in addition to expansion of Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun, there is also need to pay greater attention to set up arrangements for night landing of planes and choppers at Pantnagar Airport and the expansion and development of infrastructure facilities there. The CM also directed the officials to ensure effective arrangements to stop black marketing of tickets and focus on providing better air facilities to passengers and tourists during the Char Dham Yatra.
The CM directed that a comprehensive proposal should be made for whatever cooperation is required for this at the level of the Central Government. The Chief Minister said that, along with Dehradun, work should be done on improving and strengthening the connectivity of Pantnagar Airport with major cities of the country. He also directed them to prepare a master plan for the proper use of land in the Pantnagar airport area. He insisted that it is necessary to expand and strengthen air connectivity to promote industries in the state and for the success of Destination Uttarakhand. Dhami said that on the basis of better air facilities, one can motivate people to visit Uttarakhand.
The Chief Minister also instructed Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) to focus on efforts to increase income sources. He told the UCADA to make Naini Saini, Chinyalisaur and Gauchar airstrips well-equipped so that small aircraft facilities can be available there too. He also asked them to ensure making the heliports being developed under the Udaan scheme well-equipped with all the necessary resources. He asked them also to rationalise the proposal to increase the landing and parking charges of helipad, ground and hangars.
In the meeting, consensus was reached on the proposal to purchase new aircraft for the state and direction was given to start the process. The CM said that one aircraft should be taken on lease till a new aircraft is purchased. Approval was given in the Board for signing of MoU with Airport Authority for setting up manned traffic control centres at Kedarnath Dham and Sahastradhara helipad to establish contact with Air Traffic Controller (ATC) in case of emergency for operation of heli-services. Approval was also given by the board for procurement of a fuel pump for refuelling helicopters and a vehicle for transporting oil barrels in Kumaon Division. In the meeting, along with confirmation of the proceedings of the last meeting of UCADA, various subjects presented in the current meeting were discussed and due consent was given.
On this occasion, Additional Chief Secretary Anand Vardhan, Secretaries Brijesh Sant, Dr V Shanmugam and Vinay Shankar Pandey, Chief Executive Officer, UCADA, C Ravishankar were among the officers present.
