Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 5: Consequent upon the State Government’s decision to withdraw the Service Tax which had been imposed on helicopter services operating in the State with effect from September 2015, Governor N N Vohra, Chairman of both Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has directed Umang Narula, CEO of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board and A K Sahu, CEO of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board to review the existing helicopter fares.
CEO, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board has informed Governor that the one way air fare for heli-travel on the Neelgrath-Panjtarni sector stands immediately reduced by Rs 192 i.e. from Rs 1,715 to Rs 1,523 per passenger and on Pahalgam-Panjtarni sector the one way fare is reduced by Rs 300 from Rs 2950 to Rs 2650.
In respect of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, CEO has reported that the one way passenger fare for heli-travel between Katra and Sanjichhat stands reduced by Rs. 120 per passenger i.e. to Rs 957 against the earlier fare of Rs 1,077.
In case of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board Helicopter Services are being provided by UT air India Pvt Ltd and Global Vectra Helicop Ltd for the Neelgrath-Panjtarni-Neelgrath Sector and Himalayan Heli Services Pvt Ltd for the Pahalgam-Panjtarni-Pahalgam Sector and their authorized agents, whose details are available on the website of the helicopter operators, a link for which has also been provided on the SASB website www.shriamarnathjishrine.com.
For Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, the heli-services are run by M/s Global Vectra Helicopter Ltd and M/s Himalayan Heli Services Pvt Ltd, for operation of heli-services in the Katra-Sanjichhat-Katra Sector.
It is pertinent to recall here that both Boards have been making continuing endeavours to provide improved services to pilgrims visiting the holy cave Shrine of Shri Amarnathji and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji.