NEW DELHI, May 31 ? As part of its plans to improve air connectivity in the North Eastern Region (NER), the Union Cabinet has approved continuation of helicopter services in Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Sikkim, besides extending the service to Tripura. A significant decision that is likely to directly benefit the region was the formal clearance by the Cabinet to re-open the Indian consulate in Mandalay in Myanmar. An assurance to the effect was given by External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh last year following a request from the Government of Myanmar.
Another decision that could grant a fresh lease of life to the long-pending proposal to accord Scheduled Caste/Tribe status to the Koch Rajbongshi community was the approval by the Union Cabinet to introduce Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Amendment) Bill, 2002 providing for modifications in the orders specifying the lists of ST under Article 342 of the Constitution. Announcing the Cabinet decisions at a press briefing Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan said that subsidy for operation of the helicopter service in the North-east would continue at the rate of 75:25 basis, with the Central Government bearing the major chunk of the cost. However restrictions have been imposed on number of flights per month.
The maximum flight hours per month would be subjected to an upper limit for each State, Sri Mahajan said. The Union Government subsidises the cost of operating the helicopter services in the North-east to the Pawan Hans Helicopter Limited (PHHL), which operates the services, but with an annual ceiling of Rs 7.55 crore. It may be recalled here that helicopter service was introduced in the States of Arunachal Pradesh (1995) Meghalaya (1998) and Sikkim (1999) because of the poor air connectivity. Following a demand for extending the service to Tripura, the Cabinet today decided to introduce the service in the State.
Meanwhile, the Indian consulate in Mandalay would be a medium sized set up with an estimated staff strength of eight India-based officers and staff and four members drawn locally. The consulate that was closed in December 1979 after the military junta there charged that its activities were incompatible with its diplomatic nature. The Myanmar Government had also closed down its consultate in Kolkata the same year after closing down the Indian consulate. The Indian consulate in Myanmar was one of the oldest having being set up in 1953. The Government of India has also agreed to reopening of the Myanmar consulate in Kolkata, Sri Mahajan disclosed.
The reopening of the Mandalay consulate, however, is likely to directly help entrepreneurs in the North-east as it is close to the north-eastern State of Manipur, which is the only State in the region to have direct trading facilities with the country.