'Wanted to see people wearing hawai chappal on hawai jahaz'
Launching 'Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik' (UDAN) scheme on Thursday, PM Narendra Modi said, "My dream was to see a person who wears a 'hawai chappal' (slippers) to fly on the 'hawai jahaz' (aeroplane)." "The lives of the middle class are being transformed...Earlier, aviation was considered to be the domain of a select few. That has changed now," he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today flagged off the first Rs 2,500-an-hour flight from Shimla as part of the UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) scheme that makes air travel accessible to lower middle class families. The regional flight on the Shimla-Delhi sector was flagged off from Jubbarhatti, which is 22 km from Shimla.During his day-long visit to Shimla, Modi underscored the thrust on keeping the air fares within the reach of the middle class.WHO WILL THE UDAN SCHEME HELP"My dream was to see a person who wears a 'hawai chappal' to fly on the 'hawai jahaz' or plane," he said during his address.Air India subsidiary Alliance Air, which will operate the Delhi-Shimla flight, has capped the fare at Rs 2,036.The Prime Minister foresees tier-II and tier-III cities as "growth engines" with the country's aviation sector filled with opportunities."If aviation connectivity in tier-II and tier-III cities is enhanced in these places, it will be beneficial," he said."The UDAN scheme is going to help the tourism sector in Himachal Pradesh," Prime Minister Narendra Modi added.ABOUT THE SCHEME Simultaneous flights were launched on Kadapa Hyderabad and the Nanded-Hyderabad sectors by PM Modi through video-conferencing. Himachal Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Union minister P Ashok Gajapati Raju among others were present at the inaugural ceremony. Air India subsidiary Alliance Air will operate the Delhi-Shimla flight. The airline companies chosen are Airline Allied Services (Alliance Air), SpiceJet, Turbo Megha Airways, Air Deccan and Air Odisha.According to an official statement, 24 airports in the western region, 17 in northern region, 11 in southern region, 12 in east and 6 in north-eastern parts of the country are proposed to be connected under this scheme.As many as five airlines were awarded 128 routes under the scheme last month after a bidding process.The selected airline operator would have to provide 50 per cent of the flight capacity with a cap of Rs 2500 per hour on fixed wing aircraft and a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 13 on helicopters with the same price cap.The Shimla airport had been shut for scheduled flights since September 6, 2012, affecting tourists and business travellers. With inputs from IANS