WB govt inks MoU with Pawan Hans for chopper services to tourist destinations
JOY ROY CHOUDHURY – Kolkata
The Transport Department of the Government of West Bengal has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state-run Pawan Hans Limited for starting chopper services between various tourist destinations and industrial locations across the state. The move will help in developing infrastructure for different sectors like industry, tourism, healthcare, education and disaster management.
Alapan Bandyopadhyay, the state’s transport secretary and Sanjay Kumar, general manager (Marketing), Pawan Hans signed the documents on behalf of both the parties in the presence of West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee and Anil Srivastava, CMD – Pawan Hans, Madan Mitra, the state transport minister and other senior members of the West Bengal Cabinet.
Pawan Hans earlier called Pawan Hans Helicopters is the largest helicopter operator in the country. The Government of India holds 51 per cent share in the company, while Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) owns the remaining 49 per cent stake. “The arrangement with Pawan Hans would definitely help in boosting up infrastructural development in various tourist destinations and industrial towns of the state,” said the chief minister.
“The state has diverse geographical features, including Himalayan North Bengal and islands of the Sunderbans. Air connectivity is not only important for tourism and industry but also for rescue operations during natural calamities. Besides, Bengal is the gateway not only to the northeast but neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan,” she added.
She also urged the Pawan Hans management to start services on several routes like Kolkata-Cooch Behar, Kolkata-Malda-Balurghat, Malda-Siliguri, Kolkata-Diamond Harbour-Raichak-Sunderbans, Kolkata-Haldia-Kharagpur-Digha and Kolkata-Santiniketan and assured that the state government would give subsidise for eight seats for a period of one year if the seats are not filled. “Today, the MoU is signed. I do not want any delay. The government is ready to extend all support,” said Banerjee.
Srivastava said that the MoU would go a long way in creating basic infrastructure to improve connectivity across the state. “We have plans to start three kinds of services, including helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and seaplanes. There are a lot of airstrips in the state like in Cooch Behar, that have not been utilised for long that could be operated after conducting feasibility studies,” he added.
