Akansha Upadhyay
Published on – 20 November 2022 at 19:23 IST
The Kerala High Court barred a private civil aviation firm from offering helicopter services to Sabarimala pilgrims and calls for the concerned authorities to take immediate action against firms trying to offer such services.
A division bench of Justices Anil K Narendran and PG Ajithkumar noted that the temple, which sees an enormous amount of footfall in the ongoing Mangala Makaravilakku festival season, is situated in a difficult forest terrain prone to natural disasters.
The state government has declared Sabarimala a Special Security Zone, in order for the police to ensure a hassle-free, secure, and safe pilgrimage throughout the festival season.
However, it was discovered that Enhance Aviation Services Limited, a limited liability partnership, was offering helicopter service packages to Nilakkal, Sabarimala before even obtaining approval from the Travancore Devaswom Board, district administration, district police, or ministry of civil aviation.
The bench, therefore, directed the Devaswom Board to inform pilgrims through its virtual-Q platform that no tour operator in the aviation sector has been granted permission for helicopter facilities at Nilakkal, for the time being.
The said Aviation company was also asked to publish the same on its website, ‘helikerala.com’.
Based on various news reports on the alleged helicopter services provided by the company, the court issued the order on the procedures it had initiated suo motu. In its first hearing the government pleader and the counsel for the Devaswom Board submitted before the court that they were neither aware of any such facilities nor had given any permit to concerned firm.
The next special sitting was conducted on Saturday, where the Court the counsel for the firm was unable explain the circumstances in which a misleading advertisement was released by it regarding ‘Sabarimala Ayyappa Darshan Helicopter Service Package’, which is inclusive of darshan, dolly service, taxi service from Nilakkal to Pamba, etc.
The counsel also ensures that the firm will not be offering any such practices in future.
Although the Court noted this assurance, it was made plain that it would not shield the company from legal action.
The Devaswom Board, District Collector, and District Police Chief were directed by the court to file action taken reports on the matter. Furthermore, it ordered the Deputy Solicitor General of India to request from the Ministry of Civil Aviation the appropriate guidance regarding the use of helicopter services in areas designated as Special Security Zones.
The court has listed this matter again on Monday, November 21.