Bodies of Khandu,4 others taken to Tawang; condolences pour in

Keyla is located at an altitude of 4,500 metres,about a six-hour trek on foot from Luguthang Gompa in Tawang district.

The autopsy of the bodies was conducted at the Tawang Army post,sources said,adding Khandu’s body would be brought to Itanagar later this evening. It would be kept at his official bungalow here for the public to pay their last respects.

Khandu’s last rites would be performed at his native village in Tawang,the sources added.

The B3 single-engine and four-seater copter went missing with Khandu,his security officer Yeshi Chodak,Yeshi Lhamu,sister of Tawang MLA Tsewang Dhondup and two pilots after taking off from Tawang helipad and crashed in bad weather in the mountains.

After a five day search,their bodies and the wreckage were located at Kyela on Wednesday.

Condolences poured in from all quarters for the deceased chief minister. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed sadness over his tragic death,saying the late leader served the state with distinction and worked tirelessly to promote its interests.

Khandu was a veteran politician “who worked tirelessly to promote the interests of the state,” Singh said in a condolence message to Rinchin Drema,wife of Khandu.

“Khandu worked hard for the development of Arunachal Pradesh and served the state with distinction after being appointed the fifth chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh in April 2007”,the Prime Minister said.

The chief minister worked for the state’s development with dynamism and energy,while holding a number of ministerial positions in the state government including that of power,he said.

“In his passing away,the state of Arunachal Pradesh and the country have lost an experienced and able leader who spent long years in dedicated public service,” the Prime Minister said.

A meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) was also held in New Delhi today to condole the death of Dorjee Khandu.

Condoling the death,Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj emphasised on the need for a stricter air safety code to prevent helicopter mishaps.

“We must devise a stricter air safety code to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future,” Swaraj said on Twitter.

Swaraj’s demand for a stricter air safety code has come at a time when the Parliamentary Committee on Transport,which also covers Civil Aviation,has noted with concern the pressure put on pilots to fly chartered helicopters and state government aircraft even in adverse weather conditions or when the chopper has minor defects.

The Committee has recommended penal action against those guilty of doing so,including pilots. It also calls for empowering pilots to refuse to fly in bad weather or when the helicopter has some technical defects.

It also expressed concern over the instances of forceful landings,take-offs of helicopters in low visibility,bad weather and even during nights,which are serious breaches of aviation security norms.

Swaraj condoled the death of Khandu and others travelling with him in the helicopter.

“I am sorry to know about the demise of Dorjee Khandu,the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh. The co-passengers have also died in the crash. My sympathies for the bereaved families.”

The BJP Core Group condoled Khandu’s death in its meeting yesterday.