Good news for Vaishno Devi pilgrims! Helicopter fares slashed

The one-way helicopter fare for the Vaishno Devi shrine from the base town of Katra was Rs 1,170 for each passenger.

Jammu: Pilgrims who want to avail helicopter service to Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district will have to pay less amount from April 01, 2017.

The one-way helicopter fare for the shrine from the base town of Katra will now cost Rs 1,077 for each passenger.

The fare for the same since the past three years was Rs 1,170.

The new fare means that a pilgrim will have to pay Rs 2,154 for travelling back and forth between Katra and Sanjichhat.

Chief executive officer of the shrine board, Ajeet Kumar Sahu, meanwhile, announced that contract for the heli-service has again been awarded to the two successful bidders - M/s Global Vectra Helicorp Ltd. and M/s Himalayan Heli Services Pvt. Ltd.

Notably, these two operators have been providing heli-services to the pilgrims for the past three years.

A huge number of pilgrims use helicopter service while visiting the shrine.