Udan scheme crucial for growth of NE region to provide affordable aviation: Hardeep Singh Puri

Mumbai: Aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday said the government’s regional connectivity scheme Udan is not only “crucial” for the growth of the North-eastern region but also provide “affordable” aviation to the people. The ministry had launched the Udan (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme in October 2016 to stimulate regional air connectivity and make air travel affordable to the masses. The scheme took wings with the flagging off the maiden flight to Delhi from Shimla by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 17 April 2017, operated by the national carrier Air India’s regional arm Alliance Air. “The effective implementation of Udan is not only crucial to the growth of North Eastern states but also provide affordable aviation to the citizens,” said Puri in his address to the chief ministers, state chief secretaries/advisors at a meeting, which he chaired via video conference (VC), as per an official release. [caption id=“attachment_4469167” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] This was first of the series of such VCs planned for a periodic review of the government’s ambitious scheme, it said, adding the focus of the VC was to discuss and resolve issues concerning the effective roll-out of the scheme and take the stock of the progress being made. Besides Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Daman and Diu participated in the first review meeting through the video conferencing, the release stated. Those who attended the meeting included chief ministers of Nagaland Mizoram, Neiphiu Rio, and Zoramthanga, aviation secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola as well as senior ministry officials, among others, the added. The total number of operational routes stood at 194 till 20 July, as per a civil aviation ministry’s 22 July statement. A total of 705 routes have been awarded till 20 July by the Ministry of Civil Aviation under various phases of the scheme.