Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 8: Helicopter services of Global Vectra were today suspended from Katra, the base camp of Mata Vaishno Devi ji shrine, to Sanji Chat, about three kilometers short from the Bhawan after suspension of the company’s flying permit by Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
However, soon after the Global Vectra informed Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) officials that it was suspending its services with effect from this morning, the authorities took up the matter with Pawan Hans, the second company operating on Katra-Sanji Chat route, which arranged another helicopter and started flying the passengers booked in advance through online by Global Vectra.
“The SMVDSB authorities have reached an agreement with Pawan Hans to operate additional helicopter daily in place of Global Vectra to ensure that the passengers didn’t face inconvenience. The Pawan Hans would fly the passengers as per the original contract condition’’, official sources said.
They added that on a normal fair weather day, the Pawan Hans and Global Vectra used to make 75 to 80 sorties each from Katra to Sanji Chat and back. With pressing into service, an additional Pawan Hans helicopter, the passengers wouldn’t face any problem, sources said, adding that an equal number of pilgrims would now fly in Pawan Hans helicopters.
“The passengers, who have advanced online booking through Global Vectra would be eligible to fly through Pawan Hans’’, they said.
However, since Global Vectra has also been listed for flying passenger to holy cave shrine of Shri Amarnath ji for the pilgrimage beginning June 25, the SASB authorities would shortly take a decision.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had yesterday suspended the operating permit of Global Vectra Helicorp Limited whose promoter Ravi Rishi is under the CBI scanner in the controversial Tatra truck deal with the Army.
The Home Ministry withdrew its security clearance and recommended to the Civil Aviation Ministry to annul the non-scheduled operator permit (NSOP) of the company.
“The pilgrims, who already had their advance booking with the firm, this morning initially faced hard time due to the suspension of the service but the SMVDSB authorities immediately reached an agreement with Pawan Hans, which pressed another helicopter into service and started taking the passengers booked by Global Vectra.
With a fleet of 23 choppers, the Global Vectra flies onshore and offshore operations for oil companies, besides catering to tourist travels in the Northeast and operating chopper flights to major shrines like Vaishno Devi and during Amarnath Yatra.
Pawan Hans, which has 45 helicopters, operated additional flights to meet the vacuum created by the suspension of Global Vectra’s operations, sources said.
Normally, about 1000 pilgrims were daily flown from Katra to Sanji Chat and back by Pawan Hans and Global Vectra, sources said, adding that there would be no let up in number of the yatris as similar number of yatris would be flown by Pawan Hans now on the same terms and conditions.
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