The Supreme Court has asked the Uttarakhand High Court to urgently decide Deccan Charters Pvt Ltd’s plea challenging the repeated takeover of its Govind Ghat helipad by the state government. The top court directed disposal within two months, citing the upcoming 2026 Char Dham Yatra.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Uttarakhand High Court to quickly hear and decide two pending petitions filed by aviation company Deccan Charters Pvt Ltd regarding the repeated temporary takeover of its private helipad at Govind Ghat by the Uttarakhand government.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi asked the Registrar General of the Uttarakhand High Court at Nainital to obtain instructions from the Chief Justice of the High Court and ensure that the two pending matters are listed before an appropriate Bench in the week beginning March 9, 2026. The Supreme Court further directed that once listed, the High Court should decide the petitions within two months.
The top court also took note of the upcoming Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand. It clarified that if the High Court does not decide the matter within the stipulated time, Deccan Charters Pvt Ltd would be at liberty to approach the Supreme Court again for revival of its petition.
According to the plea filed through advocate Smarhar Singh, Deccan Charters Pvt Ltd has termed the repeated takeover of its helipad as “illegal, unabated, and unconstitutional”. The company alleged that the state authorities have been repeatedly taking over its fully functional private helipad under temporary acquisition orders, especially during the Yatra season, and handing it over to a competing operator, Pawan Hans Limited.
The company further claimed that the state government bypassed due legal process and that despite filing urgent petitions, the High Court had not yet adjudicated the matter. Deccan Charters has been operating helicopter shuttle services for the Shri Hemkund Sahibji Yatra since 2011 and holds a valid lease for the Govind Ghat helipad in Chamoli district until March 2027.
However, the plea stated that since May 2024, the state administration has followed a pattern of “forceful takeovers” by issuing temporary acquisition orders during the pilgrimage season. The first such acquisition order was issued on May 23, 2024, which the company challenged before the High Court. While that matter was still pending, the state government issued another acquisition order on June 27, 2025, again taking control of the helipad for a further six months.
In its petition, the company alleged that during one such takeover, the authorities “broke the locks” of the helipad and transferred operational control to Pawan Hans Limited for commercial use. Deccan Charters argued that the state’s actions amounted to misuse of the doctrine of “Eminent Domain” and that mandatory procedures prescribed under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 were not followed.
The plea seeks quashing of both acquisition orders dated May 23, 2024 and June 27, 2025. It also seeks restoration of possession of the helipad to the company and compensation for financial losses. The company has calculated compensation at the rate of Rs 5,000 per landing carried out by Pawan Hans during the period of what it calls “illegal acquisition.”
With the 2026 Char Dham Yatra scheduled to begin in May, Deccan Charters has sought urgent judicial intervention to stop what it describes as a continuing pattern of administrative overreach.
Taking note of the seriousness of the matter and the time-sensitive nature of the pilgrimage season, the Supreme Court has now directed the Uttarakhand High Court to decide the case expeditiously.
The matter is expected to have significant implications for government powers of temporary acquisition, the scope of eminent domain, and the rights of private operators engaged in essential pilgrimage services in Uttarakhand.
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