The heliports, which will enable operation of more choppers, will be developed at a budget of around Rs 100 crore, officials said, adding the helipads that have been identified to be upgraded in places include Sahastradhara (Dehradun),Gauchar,Chinyalisaur, New Tehri, Srinagar, Almora, Nainital, Haldwani,Joshimath, Haridwar, Dharchula,RamnagarandMussoorie.
The project would be funded by the Centre under its Regional Connectivity Scheme. As per the proposal, the development of each helipad would cost between Rs 7 crore to Rs 8 crore.
Under the first phase of the project, the Uttarakhand government aims to set up heliport at Gauchar in Chamoli district and Chinyalisaur in Uttarkashi district. By the end of 2021, the government intends to complete the work at five key helipads, officials familiar with the matter said.