Proverbial ‘first venture first loss’ fits exactly into the much – hyped helicopter service to mountainous districts of Poonch, Rajouri and Doda which was least expected but perhaps not entirely ruled out. That is precisely because hardly do we see any people friendly venture put in place by the State Government only after meticulous planning and analysing allied issues which could prop up if not immediately but likely in subsequent years. The same type of adopted complacency by the State administration has disturbed the apple cart of the chopper service to these hilly districts which was launched in September 2017 by the then PDP -BJP Coalition Government. The ideas of providing this service was to connect people inter- alia with rest of the state especially during inclement weather. Besides, it was thought to play its limited part in being helpful in boosting tourism in Poonch and Rajouri districts.
Similar service was also launched for Doda in October 2017, say exactly one month after introducing the same for Poonch and Rajouri districts. For the people of Doda , it was equally much required especially during winter months and harsh weather conditions so as to be in a position to visit the capital city of Jammu. Pawan Hans , a well known national helicopter carrier in India under the scheme of the Union Government was to provide the chopper service. So far so good.
However, the joys of the chopper services were not to be there without hiccups and ultimately it proved to be a clanger. The reason of it is attributed to the ambiguity about the cardinal clause in Memorandum of Understanding on the number of passengers to be ferried per trip per flight by these choppers . The Company , it is learnt , has refused to operate the service unless a minimum of five passengers were available for one sortie at a time, obviously to avoid being each sortie not a profit earning operation or activity. It is learnt that when three or four persons approached the designated Nodal Officers in these districts to avail of the chopper services, at the last critical moment , they were conveyed a big ‘No’ for want of the minimum required number of passengers. Desirous passengers on account of this condition had either to postpone their plan or cancel the booking which culminated into generating of less enthusiasm and interest in availing of the chopper facility. The service was thus rendered inoperative and therefore not only suspended but the entire exercise of air connectivity through chopper service in whatever small scale, landed into a piquant situation.
It is quite unfortunate that there was no sortie or any service after October -November last year which has also resulted in the neglect of the maintenance of the helipads and other paraphernalia which as a fallout, could not be developed in these three districts. Jammu – Kishtwar chopper service too has met with the same fate. So, by all accounts, the exercise was perhaps for the fulfilment of the ego of some politicians to exhibit as to how much were they impatient in translating into reality the promises made by them rather than sincerely seeing how the problems of these areas, vis-a-vis introducing of the said service were addressed in a foolproof manner. Who had the last laugh in this entire fiasco as a detailed exercise mainly on economic feasibility was not conducted by the Government, must be known to those who adopted an unbaked and half hearted approach as even full awareness of the facility was not known to all so that more passengers turned up to use this facility .