Uttarakhand govt inks MoU with ITBP to offer chopper service to tourists in border areas

The Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board on Wednesday signed an MoU with the Northern Frontier of Indo-Tibetan Border Police to promote tourism in the border areas of the hill state.

The MoU will facilitate the use of helipads in the jurisdictions of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) to offer chopper facilities to tourists visiting the religious destinations in the border areas which are difficult to reach, said chief secretary Radha Raturi, in whose presence tourism secretary Sachin Kurve and Northern Frontier IGP Sanjay Gunjyal signed the document.

The initiative is part of Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board's (UTDB) ongoing efforts to expand heli services in the border areas to give a push to tourism in those parts, she said.


Citing an example, Raturi said famous religious spots such as Adi Kailash, Om Parvat or Timmarsain Mahadev are located in areas which are hard to access by road.

Keeping this in mind, the Uttarakhand government has decided to offer chopper facilities to tourists for which the helipads in the jurisdiction of ITBP will be used, Raturi said.

These helipads will also be used to provide medicines to those living in the border villages, or to airlift them in case of a medical emergency, she said.

ITBP is deployed in the forward posts in three border districts -- Uttarkashi, Chamoli and Pithoragarh.

Priority is being accorded to the all-round development of the border villages by providing means of livelihood to its residents under the Centre's flagship 'Vibrant Village' programme, the chief secretary said.