A sudden cloud build-up prevented West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's helicopter from landing in the hill town of Kalimpong on Tuesday and forced it to return to Siliguri, from where he virtually presided over an administrative meeting for the district.
At the meeting, the chief minister described how his helicopter hovered over the helipad in the Himalayan district's headquarters as the pilot assessed landing options and eventually decided to return to the Terai foothill plains over fuel concerns.
He promised he would visit Kalimpong on October 6.
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"My helicopter was above the Kalimpong helipad. But as you all know, how unpredictable the weather of the hills is. Suddenly, there was a huge cloud build-up above the helipad," he said.
Adhikari told the meeting that the pilot made repeated attempts to land.
"We tried for around 10 minutes, and then the pilot told me that the helicopter did not have sufficient fuel to wait for long. That is why I could not meet you physically. But I will visit soon," he said.
{{/usCountry}}"We tried for around 10 minutes, and then the pilot told me that the helicopter did not have sufficient fuel to wait for long. That is why I could not meet you physically. But I will visit soon," he said.
{{/usCountry}}Adhikari also said he would visit Buxa on October 2 before returning to the Hills.
"Raju ji, October 6 is fixed," he told Darjeeling MP, Raju Bista.
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"I will come early or a day before and then the next morning, I will take the road from Siliguri to Darjeeling. While returning, I will hold a programme in Kalimpong; I promise."
Adhikari was scheduled to travel from Bagdogra to Kalimpong by helicopter and chair an administrative meeting there amid concerns over natural disasters in the hills, including landslides and heavy rain, as well as the situation in neighbouring Nepal.
During the virtual meeting, the chief minister reviewed the situation in north Bengal, including disaster preparedness in the hills, the condition of the Teesta river and the flood situation in Malda.
He outlined a series of development and welfare measures for the hills and promised to deal sternly with those involved in "corruption" in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
Adhikari said thorough investigations would be conducted into alleged irregularities in the GTA's teacher recruitment process, the 'Amrit' drinking water project and "embezzlement" of funds for 11 development boards in the past.
"Those who looted government funds will face arrests, and the money will be recovered. No one will be spared."
The chief minister also announced that a medical college would be established in Kalimpong and said its foundation stone would be laid during his next visit.
"The state has sanctioned one medical college and hospital in Kalimpong. I will carry out the 'bhoomi pujan' for that when I come here next time. I have directed the health secretary to sanction the budget for the hospital. This is a gift to you people," he said.
This was the second recent instance of adverse weather affecting Adhikari's helicopter travel. On August 11, inclement weather had forced his helicopter to make an emergency landing at Kolaghat in Purba Medinipur district.