Manipur helicopter services to remote and hill areas are set to resume after the state cabinet approved the engagement of Pawan Hans Limited to restore flights that have been suspended since October 1. The service will reconnect isolated areas with Imphal and is expected to support passenger travel as well as medical emergencies.
The cabinet decision was taken at a meeting held at the Cabinet Hall of the Chief Minister’s Office at Mantripukhri under Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh. A twin-engine helicopter will operate for six months, or until a regular operator is selected through a tender process, according to the report.
The interim arrangement will provide a minimum of 40 flying hours each month. The cabinet’s decision places the service within a defined transition period while the state moves towards appointing a regular operator. The report did not specify the routes, fare structure, flight schedule or the remote and hill locations that will be covered.
The resumption is significant for areas where road access can be difficult and where travel to Imphal is important for healthcare and other essential needs. The government said the restored service would help passengers and medical emergencies, but the supplied report does not provide details of the previous suspension’s operational causes or the number of people expected to use the service.
In a separate decision, the cabinet approved the annual observance of Loktak Day as a state festival on the full-moon day of Mera, also referred to as Thanil of Mera Tha. The festival will be held at two locations each year. This year’s celebration, beginning on October 26, will take place at Loktak Lairembi Ground in Thanga and Komlakhong.
Loktak Day began as a community tradition at Thanga in 1990 and honours Loktak Lake, described in the report as the largest freshwater lake in the northeast and a source of livelihood and cultural identity in Manipur. The Loktak Development Authority will organise the event with local clubs, with cultural programmes, traditional sports and conservation activities involving the public, students and youth.
The cabinet also amended the list of public purposes under the Manipur Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2014. Registered and licensed newspaper printing presses equipped with web offset machines may now seek permission to use up to 0.62 acres of contiguous paddy land for setting up their presses, subject to safeguards under the Act.
The government said the change would allow larger presses to move out of crowded residential localities and reduce night-time noise for residents. It also said the eligibility conditions were intended to protect paddy fields and wetlands from misuse. The report did not state when applications under the revised provision would begin or identify any press that has already sought permission.
