SHILLONG, JAN 31: The Pawan Hans helicopter carrying Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma missed landing in a designated place in Garo hills because of lack of coordination between the pilot and the tower and the chopper had to fly all the way to International Guwahati airport.
The chief minister was supposed to attend three election meetings in Garo hills, but missed one of them because of the faux paus of the pilot and the tower.
The error of the Pawan Hans and the lack of coordination between the pilot and the tower have raise serious safety and security issue to VVIP and VIP like the chief minister travelling by the chopper. The “goof-ups” is being viewed seriously by the Meghalaya government and a high level inquiry has been instituted to find out how such “miscommunication” could take place.
The chief minister had hired the chopper for reaching the three different venues for his election campaigns.
According to West Garo hills deputy commissioner Pravin Bakshi the problem arose when the pilot and the tower could not coordinate on the exact locations for landing in the last place the chief minister was suppose to land. He said, “The police had given a correct ordinate after consulting the Survey of India, but I don’t know what happen the pilot and the tower could not coordinate.”
Bakshi said that as the pilot could not locate the landing place, the helicopter hovered in the sky for sometimes and flew to Guwahati fearing shortage of fuel.
The first meeting of the chief minister was at Chonglapara in Ampati which went as per schedule. The second meeting at Chokpot in South Garo Hills was delayed as the chopper had to hover around to find the venue.
However the third meeting in Haripur, near Rajabala was missed as the chopper instead reached North Garo hills because of faulty coordinate.
As visibility and fuel became serious issues, the pilot took the chief minister to Guwahati instead. He landed with just two security guards in Guwahati and later with security provided by the Assam police, he headed towards Tura, district headquarter of West Garo hills. – By Our Reporter
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