No chopper service from Kedarnath

Dehradun: The Department of Aviation on Tuesday stopped heli-charter flights operating from Kedarnath for an indefinite period. The ban came after the Department of Aviation found that most of the companies were not following the guidelines mandatory in the wake of the NGT ruling. "We held a meeting with the companies operating these helicopters and asked them to comply by the guidelines and have asked them to submit the flight records," said Dr Rajesh Kumar, AS, Department of Civil Aviation. The heli companies were asked to fly at a height of 2,000 feet and above between Lincholi and Bhimbali. But guidelines were not followed. TNS