Helicopter services by this month: K Ranjit
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, March 18 2011:
The proposed Imphal-Moreh and Imphal-Jiribam via Tamenglong helicopter services are likely to be introduced by March 31, said Transport minister K Ranjit today during the discussion on budget estimates for 2011-12 for eight departments.
The minister informed this while replying to a token cut motion moved by MLA Ng Bijoy.
He said that a meeting of the third group of the North Eastern Council (NEC) held at Shillong on February 21 had agreed to a state proposal for introducing helicopter services in the state.
M/s Pawan Hans Ltd will be the service provider on a subsidy basis.
Union Ministry of Home Affairs will bear 75% of the subsidy while 25% will be borne by the state government.
The service provider has agreed to operate the helicopter service three times a week for the Imphal-Tamenglong-Jiribam service and daily for Imphal-Moreh, he added.
Mention may be made that hectic preparations are on for the introduction of the helicopter services since the MHA gave the green signal.
Government had provided all requisite information to the MHA joint secretary (NE) who asked for the same on the grounds that the Centre has agreed to the introduction of helicopter services in the state, initially between Imphal-Tamenglong-Jiribam and Imphal-Moreh.
The helipads for Imphal-Tamenglong-Jiribam will be at Tulihal airport (Imphal airport), Tamenglong 11 AR helipad (Tamenglong district headquarters) and Jiribam High School Ground, Jiribam while that of Imphal-Moreh will be the 31 AR Helipad, Moreh and Tulihal airport,
he added.
The approximate flying time for Imphal-Tamenglong will be around 20 minutes, Tamenglong-Jiribam 15 minutes, and Imphal-Moreh 27 minutes.
State Transport Department will co-ordinate with the MHA in the operation of the services.
The directorate is to depute his nominees at Tamenglong district headquarters, ADCs at Jiribam and Moreh, the minister asserted.
With regard to the delay in the expansion of Tulihal airport and of the work taken up to provide facilities for night landings, the minister said that the authority has to conduct re-verification of the beneficiaries entitled to compensation for land to be affected by the expansion.
The re-verification was necessitated as some land owners were found excluded from the list of beneficiaries of the compensation and also due to detection of some land owners constructing new structures with the intention of getting more compensation, Ranjit said.
Out of many complaints, he said, 17 homesteads were found truly excluded from the list of families to be compensated.
Government has taken up steps to pay their compensations.
They will be compensated at the earliest, he added.
Ranjit said that government has initiated air service providers other than Indian Airlines to introduce night service in Imphal.
Indian Airlines has already started operation, she added.
The proposed Imphal-Mandalay bus service will commence once the state gets the necessary clearance from the Union ministry of transport and highway.
After ministers concerned made clarifications to the cut motions moved by the members of the House, budget estimates of ' 737.77 crore for eight departments, transport, works, development of tribal and scheduled caste, industries, rural development and panchayati raj, sericulture, tourism and science and technology was passed by the House.
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