Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The nine-seater 250 (Beechcraft) aircraft that crash-landed in Gwalior on Thursday was not insured. State government had bought the plane for Rs 65 crore a year back.
Experts are surprised over the callous attitude of officials responsible for insurance lapse as it was state aircraft meant exclusively for use by chief minister minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Director, aviation, B Vijay Dutta said formalities related to insurance of aircraft are under scrutiny and nothing can be said for certain. “However, alternative arrangements are in place and transportation of medicines will not be a problem. State helicopter will be used. Besides, some agencies have also offered voluntary services,” he added.
During corona pandemic, the state plane was being used to transport life saving medicines when it crashed at airport in Gwalior and suffered heavy damage. Sources say that the damage is so severe that it will have to be written off completely.
According to sources, the file related to its insurance was prepared after arrival of B-250 plane from the US. However, the file got stuck in red-tape and the plane could not be insured. Aviation experts say that the damage that can be seen in video suggests that it is wiser to buy a new aircraft than to go for repairs.
Though the VT- MPQ state plane was damaged severely, two pilots and a tehsildar had a miraculous escape. The medicines were also safe.
