Itanagar: Lok Sabha member from Arunachal
Pradesh Takam Sanjoy on Wednesday asked the state government to
review the memorandum of understanding (MoU) inked with Pawan
Hans Helicopter Services Limited (PHHL) and to take
appropriate action against the company if it has failed in
proper maintenance of choppers.
"The state government should ask the company to
replace the old and obsolete choppers with new ones keeping in
view the security and safety aspects of the passengers,"
Sanjoy said.
He said if necessary the government should go for
introducing other airliners in the state with new choppers
with all security aspects in perfect condition to avoid any
untoward incidents in the state.
"The Pawan Hans authorities should ensure regular
maintenance of the choppers besides obtaining flying
certificates for each copter in every six months from Director
General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)," he added.
Sanjoy is likely to convene a meeting with Union Civil
Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi soon to apprise him the poor
performance of PHHL in the state and to request him to take up
the matter with Pawan Hans authorities.
"The Civil Aviation and the Defense Ministry should
take appropriate measures to avoid such incidents in the
future," Sanjoy said adding such accidents in the state are
frequent because of absence of proper airport and other
factors such as hilly terrain and inclement weather.
Lamenting at the snail pace of construction of Green
Field Airport at Karsingsa near here, Sanjoy said that delay
in approval of such an important project would jeopardise the
entire development process in the state.
"New Delhi's disapproval to an airport at Tawang on
the pretext of security reasons cannot be justified," he
lamented adding that project could be of immense help for
tourists coming from different parts of the country.
Meanwhile, the charred bodies of the yesterday's crash
victims have been evacuated to Guwahati this afternoon by a
special chopper despite inclement weather.
The people of entire Tawang township will assemble in
the crash site tomorrow and light candles as a mark of respect
to the departed souls.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, April 20, 2011, 18:58