VIJAYAWADA: The Director General of Police (DGP) Harish Kumar Gupta has reportedly instructed Intelligence Chief Mahesh Chandra Ladda to inspect and submit a report on the functionality and other technical issues related to the chopper, currently being used by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
The move came after a technical snag was reported in the chopper on Monday when it was allocated to Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal. Goyal, who was on a two-day visit to the State, reportedly postponed his visit to Krishnapatnam Port following the incident. The technical snag was detected after the minister boarded the helicopter at Renigunta Airport.
Though the concerned persons rectified the snag, the pilot refused to continue with the scheduled trip, stating that he was unsure and wanted the issue to be cleared by a competent authority.
Goyal, who arrived in Amaravati on Sunday for a two-day visit to the state, reached Tirupati on Monday morning with his family members and offered prayers at Tirumala temple.
According to officials, Piyush Goyal was supposed to travel from Tirupati to Krishnapatnam, but the trip was cancelled due to the technical glitch.
“The chopper is currently being used by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for district visits. After this incident, an expert team was formed to study its functionality, and a report will be submitted to the DGP at the earliest,” said a senior official from the Intelligence department.
It may be recalled that the government constituted an expert committee last month to inspect and study the functionality of the chopper and to recommend models for its replacement for the Chief Minister and other VIPs.
The committee comprises the principal secretary (poll), GAD, as chairman, the secretary (finance), the intelligence chief, and others as members.
Based on the report, the State government will take a decision on whether to continue using the chopper or to purchase a new one.