Actor Hemant Pandey complains of irregularities in the tickets sale of heli services , costing highly expensive beyond the capacity of a common traveller
The leading Bollywood actor having also acted in several Uttarakhandi movies apart from Bollywood movies Hemant Pandey has accused the Uttarakhand heli service agencies operating private chopper services to Kedarnath and other spiritual destinations during the ongoing hectic Yatra season of several irregularities in tickets sale including black in ticket rates thus raising several questions and controversies that is not ready to die down.
At Kedarnath in particular tremendous complaints have already come in from the pilgrims regarding the total mismanagement and chaos appealing to people in social media videos not to come to the four spiritual destinations especially Kedarnath where pilgrims in un uncontrollable numbers not being adequately managed with complete chaos and inconvenience to the common public who are arriving here from different parts of the country.
After the videos of actor Hemant Pandey have gone viral in the social media, the questions are being raised on the transparency and integrity of the heli services and those regulating them as according to the renowned actor Pandey the tickets of the heli services have been declared sold on the very first day’s first hour and now allegedly being sold at rupees 28 to 30000 per person which is beyong the paying capacity of anyone especially the middle class and lower middle class travellers.
The actor has unambiguously said on his video that in the name of faith people should not be exploited.
Sharing his views in social media the actor Hemant Pandey who himself hails from Kumaon, Uttarakhand says that Devotees come to pay their respectful obeisance to the Lord, but here they are faced with expensive tickets and chaos.”
“Any kind of exploitation in the name of faith is unacceptable.”
Questions are raised every year, but the situation remains the same.
Pilgrims involved in the Chardham Yatra say this problem is not new.
Complaints are raised every year regarding helicopter service prices, the role of middlemen, and the lack of arrangements, but despite this, no concrete improvement is seen.
According to VIPIN GAUR journalist travelers allege that:
There is a lack of transparency in ticket booking.
Agents and middlemen charge exorbitant prices.
There is a huge discrepancy between government claims and ground reality.
Significant questions have been raised about the helicopter service and arrangements.
Kedarnath helicopter tickets are claimed to be selling for ₹28,000–₹30,000.
There is a discrepancy between official rates and actual prices.
The active involvement of middlemen.
Lack of transparency in the digital booking system.
Increasing difficulties for pilgrims.
Pilgrims participating in the Chardham Yatra have highlighted several problems:
Long queues and disorganized management
Expensive hotels and transportation
Limited infrastructure
Confusion and uncertainty regarding helicopter bookings
Demand for government investigation and action
Hemant Pandey has demanded that the Uttarakhand government conduct an impartial investigation into the entire matter and take action against those responsible. He says that if improvements are not made in time, the confidence of pilgrims will be shattered, completely.
