Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Mar 2: The state government, for the second time, has urged the Centre to draft two MI-17 or equivalent helicopters in Koraput and Bhubaneswar to carry out anti-Maoist operations.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in a letter to Union home minister Rajnath Singh, Sunday, said, “I request you to consider deploying of two MI-17 or equivalent helicopters in the state for effective anti-naxalite operations.”
Patnaik, in a letter October 29, 2010, had requested the Centre for stationing of two dedicated MI-17 helicopters in the areas to tackle the Reds. The ministry, however, had said the state government could hire a helicopter as per the approval given by the home ministry to the work plan of the state under SRE (security related expenditure) scheme of the Centre for the year 2010-11.
“The state government has hired one MI-172 chopper from Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited (PHHL) and made it operational August 7, 2011,” he said adding, however, because of prolonged pilot strike, the services of MI-172 helicopter by PHHL is not available to the state for operational purposes.
Meanwhile, the PHHL has replaced the MI- 172 helicopter with an eight-seated Dauphin helicopter, including four crew members, with effect from February 4, 2013.