PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) has issued licenses to about 200 newly trained trekking guides in the State, while 124 rafting licences have been issued for operations on the Ganga, adventure sports officer Seema Nautiyal said. She said that licences for paragliding operators are also being processed. Of the 16 applicants who registered for paragliding licences, seven have been granted licences in Bhimtal area of Nainital. No licence has been issued to any paragliding operator in Dehradun so far, she said.
Nautiyal said that applications are rejected when paragliding operators fail to meet the prescribed conditions or submit complete documents. “There are several grounds for rejection. In some cases, the land for take-off or landing is not clear, while in others the required documents are incomplete,” she said. Applicants are given time to rectify deficiencies and submit the required documents. However, applications are rejected if the shortcomings are not addressed within the stipulated period, she said. On illegal adventure sports operations, Nautiyal said that the department writes to the district tourism development officer (DTDO) and asks for an inquiry.
Meanwhile, a paragliding operator in Maldevta claimed that operations at the site resumed on September 15 and that flights are currently being conducted. A tour guide and agent also claimed that paragliding activities had been operating in Maldevta and Mussoorie for a long time without licences. He said that the Maldevta operator had applied for a licence but it had not been issued yet. The claim comes against the backdrop of the Tourism department stating that no paragliding licence has so far been issued to any operator in Dehradun.
