The Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to extend helicopter services to far-flung inaccessible areas of the state which are devoid of proper road communication, for transporting passengers as well as essential commodities, including life-saving drugs.
"We are going to extend very soon the helicopter services to the remote and far-flung district and administrative headquarters such as Anini, Anjaw, Mechuka, Yingkiong and Tuting which are not having good road communication or facing communication bottleneck," Chief Minister Nabam Tuki informed the assembly today.
While replying to a supplementary question from BJP member Tamiyo Taga, the chief minister also holds the Minister in-charge of Civil Aviation said the government's latest decision came nearly two months after re-introduction of the Pawan Hans (MI-172 type) helicopter services on the Naharlagun-Mohanbari route and the selection of another aircraft operator, Deccan Charters Pvt Ltd, which is all set to induct a MI-172 helicopter on the Guwahati-Tawang sector shortly.
The helicopter services had remained suspended in the state for more than one-and-half-years following the tragic demise of former CM Dorjee Khandu in a Pawan Hans chopper crash in Tawang district on April 30, 2011.
To another supplementary from Congress member Wangki Lowang, the CM told the House that the government was trying to give air connectivity to all the districts "on need base" adding that government could introduce the chopper services for Khonsa and Longding which are well connected with roads, once in a week.
