A chopper carrying Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Secretary and other officials today landed at Jyotipuram in Reasi district following a “technical snag.”
However, the administration refuted that there was any technical snag and said that there was no clearance in Kishtwar which led to the landing of Pawan Hans chopper in Reasi.
“It was not an emergency landing. Actually, they had to go to another destination where they did not get clearance for landing the chopper. They could also not communicate properly in Kishtwar where they were going. Therefore, they finally decided to land here (in Jyotipurm, Reasi). There was no technical snag. It was only that they could not get clearance,” Deputy Commissioner, Indu Kanwal Chib told Greater Kashmir.
Chib said that the Commissioner Secretary RDD Sheetal Nanda, Director RDD Sudershan Kumar and others were heading for Kishtwar to take review of their department’s working.
“We do not know what has happened to the chopper while heading for Kishtwar. Besides, Secretary RDD Sheetal Nanda, Director RDD and three others were in the chopper,” one of the officials who was travelling in the chopper, said.
Meanwhile, a senior police official who wished not to be named said that he was told by the pilot of the chopper when he visited the spot that “he (the pilot) did not take the risk of going to Kishtwar after he timely detected a technical snag.”
“The chopper returned to Jammu without passengers,” the official added.