Rs 2,900 heli-taxi fare for Manimahesh yatra

Our Correspondent

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Bharmour, August 27

The Manimahesh Trust has finalised the heli-taxi service fare. A passenger will have to pay Rs 2,900 for one-side journey from Bharmaur to the Gauri Kund helipad, situated nearly three km below the Manimahesh Lake. However, the approval of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is awaited.

Manimahesh Trust chairperson Prithi Pal Singh, SDM, Bharmaur, who is officiating as Additional District Magistrate (ADM), Bharmaur, said the pilgrims could avail the chopper facility between Bharmaur and Gauri Kund.

“The flights will begin at sunrise and continue till sunset. One helicopter will ferry five passengers, apart from the pilot, per trip,” Singh said. The one-way flight takes about seven minutes.

“Fifty per cent of the seats have been allocated online, while the rest can be booked offline at the ticket counters at Bharmaur”, he said. The online link was available on Chamba district official website, he added.

Prithi Pal Singh, who is also mela officer to supervise the Manimahesh Yatra arrangements, on Monday took stock of the arrangements at Gauri Kund and Manimahesh Lake along with a team of officials.

Shops and stalls set up by the people en route Gauri Kund and Manimahesh Lake at wrong locations had been removed so that the devotees do not face any difficulty in commuting, Singh stated.

He claimed that medical and rescue posts had been set up which had started functioning at their identified locations. Besides, other staff deployed for the smooth conduct of pilgrimage would remain active on the job round the clock.