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Jharkhand air ambulance crash: Compensation for victims soon, says health minister
Responding to a question from BJP legislator Shashi Bhushan Mehta about the victims’ families still awaiting compensation, Ansari stated that the state government has paused the decision to extend the aviation firm Red Bird’s agreement to provide subsidised air ambulance services.
Health minister Irfan Ansari told the Jharkhand Assembly on Saturday that the state government would soon provide adequate compensation to the victims of the air ambulance crash on February 23, which claimed the lives of seven people on board, including two pilots and two medics.
Responding to a question from BJP legislator Shashi Bhushan Mehta about the victims’ families still awaiting compensation, Ansari stated that the state government has paused the decision to extend the aviation firm Red Bird’s agreement to provide subsidised air ambulance services.
“It was a tragic incident that took the lives of people from our state. Probe is also being by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, We will also write to the DGCA. And I assure the House that we would provide adequate compensation to the victims,” said the health minister.
A seven- seater air ambulance carrying a burn patient from Chandwa, Latehar district, crashed in the forest under Simaria police station limits in Chatra district while flying from Ranchi to New Delhi, killing all seven people on board. The victims included the patient, his wife and relative, a doctor and paramedic, as well as a pilot and co-pilot.
Regarding a specific question about why the government extended the agreement with the aviation firm Red Bird despite its involvement in the accident, the minister said the decision has been put on hold. “This issue was discussed in the cabinet with the chief minister. It has been put on hold for now,” he added.
On Friday, cabinet secretary Vandana Dadel told reporters after the cabinet meeting that the proposal of the civil aviation department to engage Red Bird as the aviation firm providing charter and helicopter services to the state has been approved.
In response to a related question from BJP legislators regarding the state’s procurement of a charter plane and helicopter, the government stated that hiring such services was more viable than purchasing them.
“Buying a helicopter costs around 80-90 crore and buying a charter plane costs around 180-200 crores. The cost of procuring charter planes and helicopters was much higher than hiring them for rent, as owning such assets entails additional costs in their maintenance, spare parts and related expenses,” Land Revenue Minister Deepak Birua said in his reply on behalf of the state government to a question of Mehta.
The minister was supported by BJP legislator and former minister CP Singh who said a similar decision was taken by the previous BJP government, as hiring such services is better than purchasing such assets.
