Heli-taxi service to be operated between Manali and Rohtang: Himachal CM

The Himachal Pradesh government will "very shorty" start heli-taxi service between key tourist destinations of Manali and Rohtang Pass to give boost to tourism in Kullu and Lahaul areas.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur made the announcement while addressing a public meeting at Bali Chowki in Mandi district today.

The chief minister said, The state government was making all efforts to give new dimension to the tourism sector in the state by strengthening the infrastructure and other facilities and efforts are afoot to develop unexplored destinations to attract the tourists and generate more revenue.

He said that the heli-taxi services had been started between Shimla and Chandigarh and very shortly it would start operating between Manali and Rohtang to facilitate the tourists. Efforts would also be made to provide the facility to tourists from Dharamshala to Chamba and Dalhousie and Manali to Chandigarh.

The state government on Monday had launched a helicopter taxi service from Shimla to Chandigarh, a journey that will take not more than 20 minutes.

Thakur further said that the state government had opened Seri Entrepreneurship Development and InnovationCentre (SEDIC) in the remote area of Mandi district to provide an opportunity to the people to connect with silk industry for self employment.

"It is one of the industries where people can work from home for enhancing their income and would especially benefit women," he said.

The state government has launched 'Silk Samagra' project to promote sericulture and silk weaving and a provision of Rs 50 crore had been made under this scheme for current fiscal to benefit farmers. Besides, a sum of Rs 10 crore and Rs 3 crore would be released under Scheduled Caste Sub Plan and Scheduled Tribe Sub Plan respectively, he said.