State Congress spokesperson Dr. Pratima Singh issued a statement on the permission to fly helicopters in Kedar Valley despite the ban, saying that in view of the frequent helicopter accidents in Kedar Valley, instructions to ban the flying of helicopters in Kedar Valley were given by Chief Minister Dhakad Dhami. Despite this, the helicopter flight in Kedar Valley has proved how dominant the bureaucracy is in Uttarakhand, which ignores the orders of the Chief Minister.
Dr. Pratima Singh said that recently five helicopter accidents took place in Kedar Valley and in the fifth helicopter accident 7 people lost their lives untimely. Holding the state government’s functioning and departmental negligence completely responsible for these helicopter accidents, he said that the frequent helicopter accidents in the Chardham Yatra did not send a good message and it has affected not only the tourism business of the state and the number of devotees doing the Chardham Yatra. Now the manner in which the state bureaucracy is arbitrarily giving permission to fly helicopters, flouting the orders of the Chief Minister, certainly seems to be a conspiracy to endanger the lives of pilgrims and defame the Char Dham Yatra of the state
