MP cabinet nod to operate helicopter services between cities, tourist and religious sites in state

Bhopal, Sep 23 (PTI) The Madhya Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to operate helicopter services within the state under a public-private partnership mode to provide "affordable and sustainable" connectivity between major cities, religious and tourist places, a minister said.

The decision, taken during a meeting of the cabinet chaired here by the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, will facilitate tourists, passengers and citizens in the state, he said.

"Helicopter services will be provided at the places selected by private operators between airports, helipads and airstrips across the state," Urban Administration and Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya told reporters after the meeting.

An official statement said major cities in the state have been divided into three sectors for helicopter operations.

Sector 1 will include Indore, Ujjain, Omkareshwar, Mandu, Maheshwar, Gandhisagar, Mandsaur, Neemuch, Hanuvantia, Khandwa, Khargone, Burhanpur, Barwani, Alirajpur, Ratlam, Jhabua, Nalkheda, Bhopal and Jabalpur, while sector 2 will include Bhopal, Madhai, Pachmarhi, Tamia, Chhindwara, Sanchi, Indore, Datia, Damoh, Gwalior, Shivpuri, Kuno (Sheopur), Orchha, Guna, Rajgarh, Sagar, Hoshangabad, Betul, Tikamgarh and Jabalpur, it said.

Under sector 3, helicopter service will be operated between Jabalpur, Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Chitrakoot, Sarsi, Parsili, Maihar, Satna, Panna, Khajuraho, Katni, Rewa, Singrauli, Amarkantak, Seoni, Sidhi, Mandla, Pench, Dindori, Bhopal and Indore, it added.

"The objective of this service is to provide affordable and sustainable helicopter services between major cities, religious places, national parks and tourist places in collaboration with private operators," Vijayvargiya said.

"This service will facilitate the movement of passengers, tourists, businessmen, investors and people of the state," he added.

This would increase business and tourism activities between major commercial cities and tourist places in the state and create new employment opportunities, according to the minister.

Meanwhile, the cabinet also approved the revised costs for the 660 MW Satpura Thermal Power Station of Madhya Pradesh Power Generating Company Limited (MPPGCL) at Rs 11,678.74 crore, and for the 660 MW Amarkantak Thermal Power Power Station at Rs 11,476.31 crore.

The projects will be financed in the ratio of 20:80 share capital and debt, the statement said without providing any details.

The cabinet also gave a go-ahead to the creation of 354 new posts of senior residents in non-clinical and para-clinical faculties in 13 autonomous medical colleges to get recognition as per the norms of the National Medical Commission.

These posts have been created in autonomous medical colleges located in Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Rewa, Satna, Vidisha, Ratlam, Khandwa, Shahdol, Shivpuri, Datia and Chhindwara, it said.

"This will ensure the smooth functioning of medical colleges as per the norms of the National Medical Commission and post-graduate students passing out of medical colleges will be able to do senior residency in the medical college and the state will also be able to get medical teachers in non-clinical and para-clinical faculties," Vijayvargiya said. PTI MAS NP