Dehradun. While giving instructions to expand heli services, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that every district and important tourist place of the state should be connected with air service at a fast pace. He also asked to ensure effective arrangements to stop ticket booking and black marketing of tickets to provide better air facilities to passengers and tourists during the Chardham Yatra.

While presiding over the ninth meeting of the Board of Directors of the Civil Aviation Development Authority at the Secretariat on Thursday, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami gave these instructions. He said that special attention should be paid to increasing air connectivity in the state. A complete proposal should be made for whatever support is required for this at the level of the Central Government.

The Chief Minister (CM Dhami) said that along with Dehradun, work should be done towards increasing the connectivity of Pantnagar Airport with major cities of the country. He also instructed to prepare a master plan for the proper use of land in the Pantnagar airport area. The Chief Minister said that it is necessary to expand and strengthen air connectivity to promote industries in the state and for the success of Destination Uttarakhand. On the basis of better air facilities, we will have to motivate people to come to Uttarakhand.

The Chief Minister (CM Dhami) also asked to focus on efforts to increase the sources of income from UCADA. He also asked to make the Naini Saini, Chinyalisaur and Gauchar airstrips more convenient so that small aircraft facilities can be available here too. He also asked to pay attention to making the heliports being developed under the Udaan scheme more convenient with the necessary resources. The Chief Minister asked to rationalize the proposal to increase the landing and parking charges of helipad, ground and hangar.

In the meeting, a consensus was reached on the proposal to purchase new aircraft for the state and the process of its purchase should be started. Until a new aircraft is purchased, an aircraft should be taken on lease. Approval was given for signing an MoU with the Airport Authority to establish a manned traffic control centre at Kedarnath Dham and Sahastradhara helipad to establish contact with the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) in case of emergency for operating the heli service and for the expenditure incurred on it.

Approval was given for purchasing a fuel pump for refueling helicopters and a vehicle for transporting oil barrels in Kumaon Mandal area. In the meeting, along with confirming the proceedings of the last meeting of UCADA, various subjects presented in the current meeting were discussed and agreed upon.