U'khand to get MI-17 cargo chopper for reconstruction work

The Centre will provide MI-17 cargo chopper to Uttarakhand to ferry heavy equipment to calamity-hit high altitude areas to expedite reconstruction work in the hill state.

An inter-ministerial group chaired by Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth on Friday took the decision in New Delhi, an official release said.

Taking heavy equipment and tools to places located in the higher reaches, especially the Kedar valley, has been a major hurdle in the reconstruction exercise underway in the region for about a year.

It was also decided at the meeting to grant Uttarakhand government the right to transfer up to five hectares of land and give forest clearance to land located at least 100 km away from the Line of Control on its own, it said.

Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar had raised these issues before the IMG at its last meeting in Delhi recently.

Allocation of the right to transfer up to five hectares of land to the state government will speed up stalled development activities, the release said.

Earlier, the state government had the right to transfer only up to one hectare of land on its own.

Cases involving transfer of land beyond this size used to be forwarded to the Forest and Environment Ministry for clearance.

Similarly, Uttarakhand earlier had to wait for forest clearance of land in the border areas.

The right to give forest clearance to land located at least 100 km away from the border will expedite development work in frontier areas, the release said.