Uttar Pradesh’s First Intra-District Helicopter Route

• 27 Dec 2023

Why in News?

On the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh inaugurated the state’s first intra-district helicopter service from Bateshwar in Agra to Goverdhan in Mathura.

• During the ceremony, a statue of Atal Bihari Vajpayee was also unveiled.

Key Points

• The helicopter service is based on the Private-Public Partnership (PPP), which will be operated by a private company from Uttarakhand.
• Projects worth ₹100 crore are also inaugurated which aims at bringing new life to Bateshwar, a historical village located amid the ravines of Chambal across the borders of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
• Previously, a helicopter service was available for Goverdhan, a pilgrimage site in Mathura, but it flew within the district for pilgrims interested in lodging ‘parikrama’ (circumambulation) of the coveted Goverdhan hillock.

About Atal Bihari Vajpayee:

• He was born on 25^th December 1924 in the erstwhile princely state of Gwalior.
• He was the former Prime Minister of India and was elected to the position twice in 1996 and 1999.
• He was conferred with the country's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna in 2015 and second-highest civilian honor, the Padma Vibhushan in 1994.