Dehradun: Around 12 private companies began chopper services for pilgrims to Kedarnath on Saturday. A senior officer in Uttarakhand civil aviation department said while the exact number of people who availed the service on Saturday is yet to be ascertained, private choppers are expected to fly nearly 19,600 pilgrims on a daily basis.
The chopper services to Kedarnath are available on to and fro basis from Guptkashi, Phata and Dehradun. A senior IAS officer said each passenger would have to shell out Rs 7,000 for a to and fro sortie in a four-seater chopper. "This service is not only cheaper but a lot convenient in more than one way, as compared to air service rendered by private helicopters in the previous years," he said.
The chopper services on Saturday were availed mostly by the sick and the elderly who were unable to trek to Kedarnath from Sonprayag and Lincholi in Rudraprayag district. "The chopper service helped us participate in the prayers at Kedarnath," said 65-year-old Mahesh Kumar who started for the shrine from his house in Patna last week.
Raad news in full 25/05/14 DS Kunwar/Times of India
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