Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was stuck at Jalgaon airport for 45 minutes on Friday after the pilot of his aircraft refused to take off, citing the end of his duty hours.
The incident occurred after Shinde participated in the ‘Palkhi Yatra’ (religious procession) of Sant Muktai in Muktainagar, Jalgaon. According to the report by NDTV, the Shiv Sena leader was scheduled to arrive at Jalgaon around 3:45 PM but was delayed by nearly two and a half hours due to technical issues. He travelled to Muktainagar by road upon his arrival.
After attending the yatra and visiting the Sant Muktai temple, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde and his team returned to Jalgaon airport at around 9:15 PM to fly to Mumbai. However, the pilot declined to fly, citing that his official duty hours had ended. He explained that securing a new flight clearance would take additional time.
Reports also indicated that the pilot was unwell, which contributed to his initial refusal. Sources mentioned that BJP leaders Mahajan and Patil, along with other officials, attempted to persuade the pilot.
After 45 minutes of discussion, they managed to convince him to proceed. Mahajan also coordinated with the concerned authorities to obtain the necessary clearance, after which the flight departed for Mumbai, as reported.
Samruddhi Expressway Now Fully Open As CM Devendra Fadnavis Inaugurates Last Stretch
In another news story, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde, inaugurated the final 76-kilometre stretch of the Samruddhi Mahamarg on Thursday, marking the full opening of the 701-kilometre expressway connecting Mumbai to Nagpur.
To mark the occasion, Eknath Shinde took the wheel and drove the vehicle with CM Fadnavis seated beside him, while Ajit Pawar and other officials sat in the back. The dignitaries experienced the newly completed stretch of expressway, where vehicles can travel at speeds of up to 120 km/h on open roads and 100 km/h within tunnels.
