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Police demand could fan chopper biz
Helicopter fleets for police forces of mega cities on the lines of the New York Police Department (NYPD), night- landing facilities at smaller airports, helipads in all 618 districts.
Helicopter fleets for police forces of mega cities on the lines of the New York Police Department (NYPD), night- landing facilities at smaller airports, helipads in all 618 districts.
All these may become a reality if the government implements the recommendations of a committee formed to investigate the crash that claimed the life of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S.R. Reddy.
The committee is headed by R.K. Tyagi, chairman and managing director, Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd.
The recommendations could also change the face of air traffic in the country.
“India needs more helicopters. The general perception is that helicopter flying is meant for VIP’s,” the committee noted.
After examining how developed countries handled their Emergency Medical Services (EMS), disaster management, Search and Rescue assignments (SAR), it recommended some changes for India. These include:
All 618 districts in the country should be provided with requisite funding for the creation of helipads. One helicopter can be assigned to each district commissioners to help district administration in EMS/SAR.
The Airports Authority of India should be provided with funds for investing in latest helicopter operations maintenance systems, including night landing facilities at smaller airports
Police departments of eight cities should be allowed helicopter fleets modelled on NYPD.
All public sector undertakings should allocate 75 per cent of distributable profits for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for the development of areas in which they are located, and at least 30 per cent of this should be for positioning helicopters in remote places.
