With the Pawan Hans Limited agreeing to begin commercial chopper service between the state capital and Paradip, the Odisha government on Saturday asked the authorities of Paradip Port Trust (PPT) and IOCL to consider some of the requirements of the helicopter company.
The state government informed this to the PPT and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), while state Chief Secretary G C Pati reviewed the progress on Pawan Hans’s proposal.
The meeting resolved that the company would operate between Bhubaneswar and Paradip, an official at the chief secretary’s office said.
However, according to principal secretary G V V Sarma, Pawan Hans Limited wanted some rebate and assistance before beginning the commercial operation.
“Both PPT and the IOCL have been urged to consider the proposal of the Pawan Hans within 15 days,” Sarma said.
To another proposal of the beginning chopper service from Bhubaneswar to Konark and Chilika, Chief Secretary suggested the Pawan Hans Limited and the state’s tourism department to formulate a proper package before taking a decision on the chopper operation to two such tourist destinations.
Pati also asked all the concerned departments to provide required assistance for the smooth operation of the proposed chopper service to Konark and Chilika.
Besides being a port town, Paradip has been emerging as a major industrial centre in the state with IOCL setting up its refinery and a petrochemical complex, with some other investors setting up their units there.
Prasanta Patnaik