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The Union Cabinet today gave its approval to continue helicopter services in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Tripura. The amount of subsidy portion i.e. actual cost of operation of helicopter services minus recovery from passengers would be met on the basis of 75 : 25 ( i.e. 75% by Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs and 25% by the State Governments). However, the overall ceiling of flying hours calculated on monthly basis, be fixed at 1 00 hours for Dauphin helicopter and 80 hours for MI 172 helicopter for Arunachal Pradesh, 60 hours for Meghalaya, 50 hours for Sikkim and 40 hours for Tripura.
A large portion of North Eastern Region is hilly and has inadequate road and rail links. Out of 8 States of North Eastern Region, only Assam and Nagaland (Dimapur) have rail links with the rest of the country and there are no air services in the States of Arunachal and Sikkim. The limited air services which exist in the North East only connect some of the State capitals / important cities like Agartala, Aizawl, Dimapur, Imphal, Shillong, Guwahati, Silchar, Tejpur and Dibrugarh. Frequency of air services to these cities is low except for Guwahati.
Quick transport facility for development of the region is necessary. Helicopter service would play a positive role in providing support to the local administration in controlling insurgency.
The financial implications for providing subsidy for operation of helicopter services in the four States of North Eastern Region would be Rs. 25 crores per annum.
YSR/HK/LV
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