NEW DELHI: A total of 30 fatalities have occurred in 12 helicopter accidents across India over the past five years, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday.In a written response to a query by Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, seeking details of helicopter accidents and fatalities in the last five years and the remedial actions taken by the government, Mohol submitted specific state-wise data.He stated that one accident in Chhattisgarh led to two deaths, four mishaps in Maharashtra resulted in seven deaths, and seven accidents in Uttarakhand claimed 21 lives.On the remedial measures undertaken, the Minister said, “The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has reiterated safety norms for helicopter operations in the country including Chardham Yatra, focussing on access control, improving parking arrangements, regulating strict adherence to SOPs. The DGCA has initiated additional surveillance and safety audits of helicopter operations for the Chardham Yatra.”In a separate written reply to YSRCP MP S Niranjan Reddy on the steps taken to regulate the surge in air ticket prices during festivals and emergencies, Mohol informed the House that the DGCA has also set up a Traffic Monitoring Unit (TMU) to monitor airfares on a monthly basis.He said, “In order to enhance the transparency in airfare, DGCA has set up Tariff Monitoring Unit (TMU) that monitors airfares on selected 78 routes on a random basis to ensure that the airlines do not charge airfares outside the range declared by them, under the provision of sub-rule (2) of Rule 135 of the Aircraft Rules 1937. This covers about 27% of the domestic traffic.”The Minister added that the government is playing the role of a facilitator by creating an enabling environment to support the growth of the sector.
Source link
