*State choppers are rarely used for airlifting of patients
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 22: Notwithstanding the fact that Jammu and Kashmir is prone to natural calamities and frequent tragic road accidents owing to tough and hilly terrain, the State doesn’t have any permanent or proper arrangement with the Indian Air Force (IAF) for evacuation during such emergencies. Moreover, the liabilities on account of airlift services provided by IAF to the State have been piling up during the past many years.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that yesterday’s incident wherein local authorities of Indian Air Force expressed inability to press chopper into service for airlifting of people critically injured in tragic road accident in Doda district was not an isolated case and such a situation has emerged a number of times in the State before the intervention/direction from the Ministry of Defence.
“For such a situation Indian Air Force cannot be held responsible as Jammu and Kashmir Government is required to enter into a permanent or proper arrangement with the Air Force authorities for getting prompt chopper service for evacuation during emergencies, which otherwise is not in place at present”, sources further said, adding Indian Air Force has always remained on the fore front to come to Government’s rescue in the hour of crisis but it has to strictly follow the laid down procedures, which cannot be bypassed without directions from Ministry of Defence.
They said that generally the officers of the State Government designated to approach Indian Air Force for helicopter service for evacuation during emergencies don’t follow the procedure like furnishing of formal communication undertaking that Government will make payment for the sorties to be carried out for airlift services.
“This is mainly because there is no permanent head of account where money is parked for availing IAF services for emergency evacuation despite the fact that IAF presses its choppers into services only on payment basis”, sources informed, adding “in the absence of such a provision even the officers either think more than twice before approaching IAF or wait for the formal directions from the top level in State Government in this regard”.
According to the sources, State Government’s liabilities towards IAF on account of airlift services have been piling up during the past many years as rate of clearance is far less than the availing of services every year. “At present, the liabilities run into crores of rupees but there is no provision to clear the same as expeditiously as possible”, they added.
It is pertinent to mention here that last year the Air Force had categorically told the State Government that airlift support would be subject to the clearing of past liabilities. Thereafter, certain amount was released to clear a small portion of liabilities. But, the figures are still at higher side.
When contacted, B B Vyas, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, who is also Administrative Secretary of Civil Aviation Department of J&K, confirmed huge liabilities on account of airlift services provided by the Air Force during emergencies. “This is not the case with J&K only…there are several other States also which have huge liabilities towards IAF”, he said, adding “Government is gradually making payments to the IAF to bring down the liabilities”.
About permanent arrangement for prompt airlift services during emergencies, he admitted that the same was required in view of vulnerability of State to natural calamities and tragic road accidents. He, however, said that Government has now written a communication to the Indian Air Force requesting its authorities to ensure chopper services for emergency evacuation on regular basis.
According to the sources, the Government had the option to press its own chopper into service for airlifting of critically injured passengers from Doda yesterday but the same was not exercised. “The State choppers are rarely used in such a situation despite the fact that State’s own flying machines are also meant for airlifting of injured from remote and inaccessible areas as per the functions and duties clearly reflected in the official website of Civil Aviation Department”, they added.
“It is a matter of serious concern that politicians, who are in power in the State, are more interested in making use of State’s flying machines for their mobility to different parts of State instead of exerting pressure for pressing these choppers into service to save human lives during emergencies”, sources regretted, adding “shockingly, these politicians have never tried to ensure that a proper mechanism or arrangement is in place with the IAF for timely evacuation during emergencies and clearance of all the liabilities on account of airlift services”.
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