TURA, APR 3: Tura Lok Sabha parliamentary seat Returning Officer Pravin Bakshi informed the Meghalaya Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Prashant Naik that the Pawan Hans Limited Dauphin N3 helicopter used by Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma for campaigning in Garo hills had been hired by the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) after it received a no objection certificate for de-hiring from its regular client the Meghalaya Transport Corporation (MTC).
In his Action Taken Report (ATR) to Naik, Bakshi also attached a letter from Pawan Hans Limited general manager Sanjay Kumar saying that after de-hiring of the helicopter by the MTC, the company had hired it out to the MPCC after advance payment of Rs 50 lakhs was made to the company through the RTGS.
Kumar had said that the company had requested the MTC to de-hire the helicopter as it did not have any spare helicopter in Guwahati and accordingly the MTC had given the NOC. He clarified that only after receiving the NOC from the MTC the company hire out the chopper to the MPCC.
In the covering letter sent to Naik on Thursday, Bakshi who attached copy of the letter from Pawan Hans Limited general manager Sanjay Kumar, said as indicated in the letter the company had hired out the helicopter to the MPCC after receiving the NOC from the concerned authority (MTC) of the Meghalaya government.
The chief minister used the chopper for campaigning in different parts of Garo hills for Congress candidate Daryl William Momin on March 25, 27, 28, 29, 30 and April 1, 2 and 3.
The NPP had lodge a complaint with the Election department that chief minister Mukul Sangma, who used the helicopter for campaigning for the Congress candidate of the Tura Lok Sabha seat, had misused the helicopter and violated the Elections model code of conduct by using the helicopter for campaigning.
In his letter to Bakshi, Kumar clarified, “The Dauphin N3 helicopter was provided to Meghalaya Congress committee for carrying their passenger to different location as per their requirement after the payment was made by the MPCC.”
In its letter to Bakshi, the Meghalaya Transport Corporation said, that the Meghalaya government had issued an NOC to Pawan Hans for de-hiring of the government helicopter service. The letter said, “It is the sole concern of Pawan Hans to utilize the helicopter after it is being de-hired, on the condition that no fixed monthly charges will be charged during the de-hired period”.
In his complaint to the Bakshi, NPP Garo hills district president Semford B Sangma had said, “Using the only Pawan Hans helicopter, which is deployed for public transport by state government and being managed by Meghalaya Transport Corporation, solely for election purposes to ferry the chief minister to different meeting venues in Garo hills districts amounts to abuse of power and misuse of government facilities for election campaign.”
Semford submitted a copy of the receipt and the helicopter itinerary to the returning officer in Tura in which the Congress has paid Rs 50 lakh for use of the chopper on two days – March 25 and 26.
NPP candidate Purno Agitok Sangma is pitted against political greenhorn and Congress candidate Daryl William Momin, grandson of founder chief minister of Meghalaya, Williamson Sangma for the Tura Lok Sabha seat.- By Our Correspondent
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