PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Yashpal Arya has alleged that the helicopter companies operational in the Char Dham Yatra are openly flouting the norms setup by the Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA). He said that at present nine companies are providing helicopter services in the Char Dham Yatra. Recently, the DGCA had reduced the number of sorties of these companies by 35 per cent however many more sorties than the permitted ones are being taken by the helicopters . Arya said that the DGCA had also directed that not more than 3-4 passengers should be ferried during one sortie. However, the accident which crashed on Sunday had six adults including the pilot. The LoP said that the helicopter companies are putting the lives of the passengers at stake and are only concerned about money. He said that it is unfortunate that the DGCA shrugs off its responsibility by merely issuing guidelines but no one is ensuring that the guidelines are followed.
Arya said that the administration had information about bad weather conditions in Kedar valley but action was taken.
He said that the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had recently ordered review of the helicopter operations to ensure that there is no repetition of such accidents but it appears that the helicopter companies are paying no heed. Arya said that responsibilities should be fixed and the system should be accountable.
