HP hires copter

SHIMLA, Jan 10: After waiting for nearly nine months, Himachal Pradesh government has finally acquired a new 22-seater Pawan Hans helicopter for winter flights to the state’s tribal areas.

State government sources today confirmed that the helicopter had already arrived and would be pressed into service from tomorrow. The Department of Tribal Development has already drawn up its tentative schedule for regular winter flights to the snowbound tribal areas of Keylong, Pangi, Bharmaur and Spiti areas.The helicopter, which initially had 26 seats, had also made some successful trial flights to the snow-bound valleys and would be retained by the state government on wet-lease. Four seats of the helicopter had been taken off to accommodate an additional fuel tank.

Official sources said modalities for the lease were being finalised and the Pawan Hans helicopter would be comparatively cheaper than the earlier Masco helicopter.