By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The State Government has initiated the process of resuming chopper services in the State after a gap of almost one year.
Transport Minister AT Mondal on Saturday informed that the tender for the chopper services has been floated and the Government is making all attempts to resume the chopper services in the State at the earliest.
The hilly state has been without any chopper services since May last year after the State Government suspended the operation of Pawan Hans Helicopters services, following the death of the then Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and four others in a chopper crash in Arunachal Pradesh in May last year.
As per the tender documents, the State Government is seeking a twin-engine helicopter equipped with the latest technology any having a passenger carrying capacity of 10 to 15.
The agreement with the bidder will be signed for one year initially but can be extended up to three years if required, the documents added.
The tender document also stated that the helicopter would be utilized for approximately sixty hours per month and would initially fly on the Shillong-Tura-Guwahati-Shillong route.
Mondal also informed that the last date for submission of tender is May 10 and the tenders will be opened on the same day by the Secretary, Transport department.
It may be added that Pawan Hans services, which was suspended by most of the Northeastern states following Khandu’s death, had resumed its services in Tripura and Sikkim in July, but when the company applied for resuming its services in Meghalaya, the State Government rejected the company’s application.