Shimla heli-taxi service gets costlier
Shimla, July 8 : Barely a month after its launch, the heli-taxi fare between Shimla and Chandigarh has gone up by Rs 500, from Rs 2,999 to Rs 3,499, officials said on Sunday.
This is not all. There is a confusion over its landing site in the Himachal state capital.
Officials said the chopper is still landing at the airport at Jubbarhatti, 22 km from here, and not at the Annandale ground, the picturesque flat highland just 3 km from Shimla's Ridge, as announced by the government soon after the launch of its maiden flight on June 4.
"Seeing the poor response of the travellers, the government has announced that the chopper will land at the Annandale ground and not at the airport. That was an encouraging step to woo the tourists as it helps reducing the travel distance between the landing spot and the city," a travel agent told IANS.
"But the chopper is still landing at the Jubbarhatti airport and it's discouraging the tourists and even locals to travel by air. That is why almost 50 per cent of the seats in every flight have been remaining unsold since the launch of heli-taxi service," he said, adding "most of the tourists are preferring to travel by cab than heli-taxi".
Officials told IANS that for boarding the chopper at Shimla, one has to go to the Jubbarhatti airport, which is an hour-long travel from here
It lands and takes off from the Chandigarh International Airport, some 18 km from the city.
Seeing the poor response of the travelers, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, announced on June 18 the chopper would land at the Annandale ground but would take off from Jubbarhatti.
"We are still awaiting permission from the defence ministry. Owing to security reasons, it's reluctant to allow the civilian chopper to land at the Annandale ground," a senior official with the state Tourism and Civil Aviation Department told IANS.
A prime land surrounded by thick forests, the Annandale ground has been under the Army's control since World War II. The Army has allowed only the landing of the Chief Minister's chopper there.
The official admitted that the one-way airfare for the tri-weekly service was increased by Rs 500 from July 1 owing to high operational cost.
With the launch of the heli-taxi service on June 4, the travel time between Shimla and Chandigarh was reduced to just 20 minutes against four hours by road.
The Chief Minister has offered his official helicopter for the Shimla-Chandigarh route.
The state government in association with helicopter service operator Pawan Hans Ltd launched this service.
The helicopter takes off at the Jubbarhatti airport at 8 a.m. and reaches Chandigarh at 8.20 a.m. And from Chandigarh it takes off at 9 a.m. and reaches Shimla at 9.20 a.m.
The state is constructing a helipad at Sanjauli, just on the outskirts of Shimla. The Shimla-Chandigarh flight will be operated from Sanjauli after the new helipad becomes operational in four-five months, say officials.
The Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corp has started a shuttle bus service between Shimla and the airport for the heli-taxi passengers. The ticket is Rs 200 per seat.
The normal taxi fare between Shimla and its airport is between Rs 1,200 and Rs 1,500, which travel agents say is too high for a person who is travelling at an affordable air fare.
Known for its apples and picture-perfect tourist spots, Himachal Pradesh attracted 19.6 million tourists last year, 2.9 times of its population. It has 63 operational helipads across the state, as per the state's Economic Survey 2017-18.
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13 lakh litres of 'Rail Neer' supplied to train passengers daily: Government
New Delhi (PTI): Approximately 13 lakh litres of packaged drinking water -- 'Rail Neer' -- are being supplied to train passengers across the railway network daily, the government informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday.
Apprising the Lower House about the Indian Railways' endeavour to provide safe and potable drinking water facilities at all stations, the government also provided zone-wise details of the water vending machines (WVMs) installed there.
"To ensure the quality of drinking water being made available at the railway stations, instructions exist for periodical checking and required corrective action to be taken.
"Regular inspection and maintenance of drinking water facilities is carried out and complaints are attended to promptly," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while responding to a question raised by BJP MP Anup Sanjay Dhotre seeking to know the supply of drinking water at railway stations across the country
"Complaints regarding deficiency in services, including water supply, are received through various channels such as public complaints, web portals, social media, etc. These complaints are received at various levels, including the Railway Board, zonal railways, division office, etc.," Vaishnaw said.
"The complaints so received are forwarded to the concerned wings of Railways and necessary action is taken to check and address them. As receipt of such complaints and action taken thereon is a continuous and dynamic process, a centralised compendium of these is not maintained," he added.
Providing zone-wise details of water vending machines, the minister said 954 such machines have been installed across railway stations.
"The Indian Railways also provides safe and affordable packaged drinking water bottles -- Rail Neer -- approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in trains and at stations," Vaishnaw said.
"Approximately, 13 lakh litres of Rail Neer are being supplied per day to the travelling passengers in trains and at stations across the Indian Railways network," he added.
