Principal Secretary Civil Aviation Department, Rohit Kansal today reviewed the subsidized helicopter services provided to facilitate people, especially those living in the areas which remain cut off during winter season.The meeting was attended by Divisional Commissioner Jammu Sanjeev Verma concerned Civil Aviation Department officers, representative of Pawan Hans Helicopter Limited and other concerned.Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan, Deputy Commissioners of Poonch, Rajouri and Kishtwar attended the meeting through video conferencing.The Principal Secretary impressed upon the Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu to work out a procedure to streamline the opening of ticketing counters with designated officers at the counters. He also asked to give wide publicity both in print and electronic so that common people could avail the subsidised helicopter service.
He also directed both the divisional commissioners to fix a schedule for flights with the timings and days.Kansal said that as the winter season has set in, many areas in Jammu and Kashmir divisions would remain cut off for most of the winter season and people there would need helicopter service. He asked Pawan Hans Helicopter Service Limited to keep helicopters and pilots stationed at both Jammu and Srinagar cities.He also said that in Kashmir sectors like Kupwara, Karnah, Tanghdar, Gurez remain equally inaccessible due to non-availability of all-weather roads and heavy snowfall in winters due to which surface transport is disrupted.The Principal Secretary also sought inputs from the DCs on the functioning of the helicopter services in their respective areas.