PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said that the State government is making efforts to expand international flights with the aim of establishing Uttarakhand as a major global destination. He said that the work is also underway to develop Dehradun (Jolly Grant) and Pantnagar airports for international air services. He was addressing a programme after virtually inaugurating the Pithoragarh-Munsiyari-Pithoragarh and Haldwani-Almora-Haldwani helicopter services under the UDAN- Regional Connectivity scheme from his residence on Wednesday. He said that launch of new services will facilitate the movement of common citizens in remote areas of the State. Dhami said that Almora and Munsyari are not only ancient cities of Uttarakhand but also historically and culturally important. These cities attract tourists from across the country and the world for their natural beauty, historic temples, and rich culture. With the launch of the helicopter service, tourists will now have easier access to Almora and Munsyari. The CM added these services will reduce the travel time from Haldwani to Almora from three to four hours to just a few minutes. The launch of helicopter services will boost tourism and economic development in both regions. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated a visionary scheme called the UDAN scheme which has made a significant contribution to strengthening air connectivity in the State. The CM informed that work is underway to operate helicopter services from 18 heliports in the State. The heli services have already connected important areas such as Gauchar, Joshiyara, Haldwani, Munsiyari, Mussoorie, Pithoragarh, Pantnagar, Champawat, Bageshwar, Nainital, and Almora. He added that other important areas will also be connected with heli services in the future. Secretary Sachin Kurve, chief executive officer UCADA Ashish Chauhan and other officials were present in the programme.
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