india

Updated: Aug 21, 2019 22:40 IST

Six heliports will be built in Himachal Pradesh at a cost of over Rs 28 crore, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said Wednesday

Thakur was responding to a question by Nadaun legislator Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu on the third day of legislative assembly’s monsoon session.

The chief minister said a detailed project report (DPR) of the heliports, to be constructed with an estimated budget of ₹28.9 crore, have been completed. The costs include civil works like construction of passenger terminal building, pavements, fire operations building, watchtowers, UG tank, septic tanks and soak pits, chain linking, fencing and gates. He said the state government will construct helipads in all the 68 assembly segments of the state.

He said as many as six heliports—three in Shimla district at Baneru near Sanjauli-Dhalli bypass, Rampur Bushahr and Nathpa-Jhakri and other in Kangnidhar in Mandi district, Baddi in Solan district and Manali (SASE) in Kullu district— are being built in Himachal under Udaan-II scheme of the central government. The chief minister also proposed to construct a helipad in Sirmaur and Bilaspur district soon.

The Banera heliport will be completed by the end of this year.

“All the heliports will be connected to the three airports (Bhuntar, Jubbarhatti, Gaggal) by helicopter operation/heli-Taxi service in future,” he said.

Thakur said Centre’s Udaan I scheme did not have the provision of constructing heliports.

He said around 11 LAC, including Nadaun, Indora, Barsar, Balh, Haroli, Chintpurni, Paragpur, Kutlehar, Solan, Sulah and Banjar, do not have a helipad.

“Even the state capital Shimla does not has its own helipad and we are forced to use army’s helipad in Annadale for which we have to take permission from Chandi Mandir Army Cantonment. The second-biggest district in the state Mandi also lacks its own helipad,” he added.

Replying to a question raised by Punjab Congress incharge and Dalhousie MLA Asha Kumari regarding the status of proposed cement plant in Chamba district, industry minister Bikram Singh said the matter is under consideration and the auction process could not be completed as no company participated in the technical bid.

Broh-Shind limestone deposit was put for e-auction on August 21 last year and technical bids were invited with the conditions that 100 per cent clinker (raw material) shall be manufactured within the state and 25 per cent of it shall be converted into cement within the state.

Even after extending the last date of the purchase of the tender to January 15, no investor expressed interest. He clarified the signing of MoU with the Dalmia group, saying the company had completed the formalities before the rules were changed by the Centre in 2015 and new policy was framed. However, Agnihotri suggested to set up a team of high-level officers to study the issue.