Assam on Thursday got its first heliport at Majuli, India’s first riverine district.

Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who represents Majuli constituency in the state Assembly, inaugurated the heliport built over an area of about 15 bighas at Garmur Keralagaon.

Sonowal, who was elected from Majuli in 2016, also inaugurated a guesthouse attached to the heliport, both of which were built at a cost of Rs 50 lakh. He said the newly created infrastructure will go a long way in attracting domestic and foreign tourists.

He said the heliport was built with an aim to boost tourism in Majuli, which has a distinct identity as the world’s largest river island. The government has made dedicated efforts to position Majuli as an important tourist destination of the world and we hope that the new heliport would significantly facilitate tourist flow to the river island, Sonowal said.

Once operational, the chopper service will help tourists and visitors because swift and smooth communication remains an issue with most visiting Majuli. During floods, it is very difficult to travel to the island or get out as the Brahmaputra remains in spate.

The heliport will also offer an option to Majuli officials who have to scout for a suitable place for VVIP landing and build a temporary helipad, especially during election campaigning and ministerial visits.

Majuli, vying for a World Heritage Site tag for its culture, attracts about 5,000 tourists, including 1,000 foreigners, every year, according to an official. Tourists are attracted by its xatras (Vaishnavite monasteries), water bodies, migratory birds, flora and fauna.

Sources said that though the heliport is ready to use, the operation of a commercial chopper service will still take some time.

An Assam-based company, Brahmaputra Aviation, is trying to secure a licence to operate the chopper service, an official said. The company has approached the Majuli district administration for a no-objection certificate after which they will move the director-general, civil aviation, to seek a licence. “Moreover, a passenger lounge and a check-in counter have to be built. So it will still take some time,” an official said.

However, the biggest concern is the viability of the chopper service in the absence of government support. An official familiar with the project said that a chopper can fly only seven passengers, including the pilot.

“The heliport can handle the simultaneous landing of three choppers at a time. With five to six passengers and a one-way cost of Rs 5,000, a big question mark remains on the viability of the proposed chopper service. There are also doubts about whether there will be enough demand for a chartered service, which may be an option. However, the heliport can be used for VVIP landing, which will only increase with polls round the corner,” an official said.

Sonowal said at the inauguration that the government has initiated steps for construction of the bridge connecting Majuli with Jorhat. A technical bid was opened and the financial bid would be opened in the next two days after which the construction process would start.

On Wednesday, he had said that work on the bridge connecting Jorhat and Majuli districts would start by February 20. He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit Majuli soon.

Sonowal also said two Ro-Pax (passenger roll-on and roll-off) ferries would be pressed into service within this month giving a new push to river transportation in Majuli.

From Majuli, Sonowal visited Dhekiajuli in Sonitpur district to take stock of the preparations for the visit of Modi on February 7 who will ceremonially launch the “Asom Mala” programme, which aims to improve and upgrade state highways and major district roads at an initial financial outlay of more than Rs 5,000 crore.

This will be Modi’s second visit to the poll-bound state since January.

Sonowal said the Prime Minister would also lay the foundation stone for two new medical college and hospitals in Biswanath and Charaideo districts which would significantly strengthen the connectivity network and health sector in Assam.

Sonowal said: “An amount of Rs 34,000 crore for highway construction, Rs 300 crore for development of Kamakhya temple, Rs 1,075 crore for protection of sacred Majuli and Rs 1,000 crore for the welfare of tea garden workers prove Modiji’s love for Assam and the Northeast. He is one of our own and most respected by the masses.”