Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Oct 27: As yet another new initiative, Union DoNER Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh has mooted commercial helicopter service within Northeast in order to improve intra-regional connectivity.
At a meeting of senior officers of the union Ministry for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Dr Jitendra Singh said that the biggest hurdle in attracting investments, tourism and entrepreneurship in Northeast is the lack of adequate connectivity. Even though the rail network expansion has started on a fast track in the last one year or so and the first – ever rail link to Meghalaya was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi within six months of the taking over of the present government, he said, most parts still remain unconnected by rail. Similarly, road connectivity also gets adversely affected due to weather conditions, he added. In such a situation, he said, improvement in air connectivity is the only immediate viable option.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, the DoNER Ministry is taking up with the Civil Aviation Ministry, the prospect of developing Guwahati Airport as regional hub for the entire Northeast. The helicopters can be grounded there overnight and can be put to use for commercial sorties for civilian passengers at frequent intervals to different destinations in all the eight States of Northeast. This will, he said, give the civilians, the freedom to plan their movement as per their requirement and priority, and not be constrained by the availability of a routine aircraft flight.
In this regard, Dr Jitendra Singh said, discussion can be held with different helicopter companies like Pawan Hans and issues related to equity, etc., can be worked out to the mutual advantage of all. Guwahati Airport is connected by regular flights to a number of destinations including Delhi, Kolkata, Jaipur and Bangalore, and therefore, he said, when regular commercial helicopter service gets initiated, passengers from any part of the country or abroad who land at Guwahati airport by a civil aircraft will have the option to take a connecting helicopter flight to a further destination in the region.
The meeting was attended by Union Secretary DoNER Ameising Luikham, Joint Secretaries A.M.Singh, V.B.Pathak, J.K.Sinha and other senior officers.
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