Shimla, January 29
The much awaited heli-taxi services finally took off today when Chief Minister PK Dhumal flagged off the first flight from the Annadale ground here.

The first flight ferried passengers to pristine locations in the Kullu valley and brought them back as well.

Speaking on the occasion, Dhumal said the facility would go a long way in facilitating travel of high-end tourists to the far-flung unexplored areas of the state.

The Chief Minister said with the introduction of heli-taxi the scope of tourism had been widened as high-end tourists would now be able to visit more places in Himachal Pradesh in a short time.

He said the Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation had undertaken an exhaustive exercise before the launch of the services so that high-end tourists could avail the facility, especially in view of the limited air and the rail connectivity in the state.

The Chief Minister said initially Simm Samm Airways had launched the services from the Shimla helipad but agreement had been signed with three operators to connect the district headquarters and important tourist destinations in the state.

He said 1.39 crore tourists had visited the state during last year, including a large number of foreigners. “There is vast scope of high-end tourism in the state and the heli-taxi services will go a long way in supplementing the government efforts in this respect,” he remarked.

He said paragliding, hang-gliding, heli-skiing and other international-level adventure sports activities were being organised in the state and the heli-taxi services would facilitate organisation of such sports more conveniently.

Arun Sharma, director, Tourism and Civil Aviation, said the department would make all possible efforts to make the services a big success which had been started to meet the long-pending demand of high-end tourists visiting the state.

KULLU: The maiden heli-taxi flight landed at the Kullu-Manali airport, Bhuntar, today.

Welcoming the passengers who travelled from Shimla to Bhuntar, district tourism officer Rajeshwar Goel said a new era in the history of Himachal Tourism had started. He said there was enough scope to explore new destinations in the state and heli-taxi services would go a long way to tap the available potential.

He further revealed that three places had been earmarked for the construction of civil helipads at Aalu Ground, Palchan and Bahang. The heli-taxi services would be available between Shimla-Kullu, Kullu-Manali and Rohtang-Tandi-Manali. The fare for Shimla-Kullu sector has been fixed as Rs 9,900 or the helicopter can be hired at Rs 85,000 per hour, Goel added.

Captain BS Malah piloted the 5+1 seat MD600 helicopter with three passengers. He said flying over the snow-capped mountains was a pleasure and hoped that the heli-taxi services would be a big success. The road journey from Manali to Shimla in the hilly terrain was strenuous and helicopter flights will not only save time but also the tiresome long journey, Captain Malah added.

Shimla, January 29
The state government has granted approval for filling 1,000 posts of teacher of different categories in the Education Department so as to ensure that there are no vacancies.

The decision was taken by the state Cabinet at its meeting chaired by Chief Minister PK Dhumal here today.

The Education department will now be able to fill 225 posts of “shastri”, 450 posts of language teacher, 200 posts of art teacher and 125 posts of physical education Teacher in the Department of Elementary Education.

The Cabinet also approved constitution of a Cabinet Sub-Committee under the chairmanship of the Revenue Minister and five other ministers which will submit its recommendations regarding the Implementation of the Constitutional (85th Amendment) Act, 2001, and assignment of seniority to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes government employees on promotion.

The Cabinet also granted approval for cancellation of allotment of Raula (1.25 MW), Pher (1.75 MW), Nalian (0.80 MW), Bourar (0.40 MW), Mallan (1 MW) and Uhl-II (1 MW) power projects.

In its effort to make Himachal “polythene free” state of the country, it has been decided to impose ban on storage and use of non-biodegradable disposable plastic products like plastic cup, plate and glass from August 15, 2011, and any offence committed shall be liable for a fine of Rs 5,000.

It also approved naming of Reckong Peo Chowk in memory of the former Speaker, late Thakur Sen Negi as Thakur Sen Negi Chowk.

It accepted the proposal to enhance VAT on Tobacco and Tobacco Products from 13.75 per cent to 16 per cent.

Shimla, January 29
The Budget session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly would begin on February 28 and would have 24 sittings in all. The Cabinet, which met here today, asked the Assembly Speaker to request the Governor to convene the Budget session from February 28.

It will conclude on April 8.

Shimla, January 29
The State-Level Single Window Clearance and Monitoring Authority has granted approval to 12 new and seven expansion proposals of industrial units involving an investment of Rs 780 crore with a potential employment to 3,486 persons.

The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister PK Dhumal here today. The major investors who propose to set up units here include Winsome Textiles Industries, LSI Textile LLP, Torque Pharmaceuticals, Nandowest Nano Technologies, Zoya Fruit Products and Ganesha Foods. Ankit Wine and Kot Ghei Winery ill make fruit-based wine at Karsog and Jais Ghatti in Theog and provide ready market to the fruit growers of the state.

The CM said the state had succeeded in attracting investment of Rs 15,030 crore during the past three years by clearing 3,754 industrial proposals which had generated employment potential for 1.39 lakh persons.

Sundernagar, January 29
The Sundernagar police arrested one person and recovered one kg opium from his possession during the checking of an HRTC bus at Slapper on the border area of Mandi and Bilaspur districts.

According to the police the in charge of the police post at Slapper (Sundernagar), while checking an HRTC Bus which had come from Manali, recovered one kg opium from the possession of Payaree, a resident of Rajwahan tehsil in Nalagarh district, Solan. The police registered a case under Section 18 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and arrested the accused.