Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s seaplane flight from the Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad to the Dharoi dam in Mehsana district on Tuesday, the last day of campaigning, attracted controversy over flouting of safety norms for travel of VIPs.
The Kodiak seaplane that the Prime Minister flew in is a single-engine aircraft, while norms require him to travel in a twin-engine aircraft.
The Air Safety Circular No. 2 of 1981 for use of private or State-owned aircraft for carriage of Chief Ministers and other high dignitaries says, “Twin-engined aircraft with good operational capability, reliability and easy maintainability characteristics should be used.”
There are no separate rules yet for seaplanes. Twin-engine planes are considered safer as pilots may be able to take off or land on one engine even if the other fails.
In a tweet, the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said: “How is it that the security guidelines were relaxed for this flight? No Z+ protectee is allowed to fly in a single-engine aircraft, much less the PM of our country.”
In another tweet, Mr. Abdullah said: “Single-engine plane. Foreign pilots. Is there any security guideline that will not be thrown out today?”
Gadkari defends flight
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari had a different take on the use of seaplane, which he said would revolutionise the transport sector of the country. “It is a big revolution in the transport sector of our country,” Mr. Gadkari told presspersons in New Delhi.
Mr. Gadkari said his and the Civil Aviation Ministries would frame rules for such form of transport on the lines of regulations in Canada, the U.S. and Japan.
“The Prime Minister can chose any mode of transportation. It is a moment of pride for us that he chose it for trial run. [If Congress president-elect] Rahul Gandhi wants, he can use it,” the Minister said.
(With PTI inputs)
