Moving ahead on the plan to provide air connectivity to the far flung areas of the State, the Heli service from Haldwani to Munsiyari, Pithoragarh and Champawat started on Thursday. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami flagged off the service under the regional connectivity scheme in a virtual mode from Dehradun.

 Speaking on the occasion CM expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia for the commencement of the Heli service. He said that the much awaited service will not only help in providing transportation facilities and connecting far flung areas but will also prove useful in effective implementation of relief and rescue works during disaster. The service will also give a boost to tourism in the area. Dhami said that the service will also help in igniting reverse migration in the remote areas and rehabilitate the villages and houses in the mountainous areas of the State.

 The CM said that recently a new terminal at Dehradun airport Jollygrant was inaugurated and soon air services to Amritsar, Pantnagar and Ayodhya will start from Dehradun as a pilot project. The CM disclosed that soon Heli services to Triyuginarayan and Lansdowne will also start. These services will give an impetus to tourism and create new avenues for employment. He said that fixed wing aircraft service from Dehradun to Pithoragarh has started from January 30, 2024. He said that Uttarakhand is an important state for pilgrimage and tourism and the State government is trying to provide every kind of facility to the pilgrims and tourists.

The CM said that the Dehradun airport is being developed into an international airport. The state government is also planning to start Joy ride service and Himalaya Darshan service for the tourists. Dhami said that under the leadership of PM Modi , 25 crore people of the country have come out of poverty and the dream of PM that the residents of the country donning slippers should travel by air is coming true today.

 The programme was virtually addressed by the union minister of State for defence and tourism Ajay Bhatt. He said that to encourage regional tourism and connectivity the UDAN scheme was started. The scheme will prove beneficial for tourism, education and health. Bhatt said that the union government has given an approval of Rs 140 crore for development of Champawat and Pithoragarh districts.

 The programme was addressed by MLA Bishan Singh Chufal, additional secretary civil aviation C Ravishankar and others.