MP: Trainee female pilot, flight instructor killed as trainer aircraft crashes in Balaghat district
Balaghat (MP)/Gondia, Mar 18: A trainer aircraft crashed on Saturday in the hilly region of Madhya Pradesh's Naxalite-affected Balaghat district and caught fire, killing the flight instructor and the woman trainee pilot, officials said.
The aircraft belonged to the IGRAU (Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi) which was on a training sortie, and prima facie bad weather caused the crash, said an official from Gondia in neighbouring Maharashtra.
Balaghat Superintendent of Police Sameer Saurabh said two badly burnt bodies were recovered from the spot which falls under the Lanji police station.
He said the charred body of a man (believed to be that of pilot Mohit Thakur's) was found on the hills of Lanji and Kirnapur areas, about 40 km from the Balaghat district headquarters, near the site of the crash.
"We received information at around 3:45 pm (about the crash). As the area falls under the Naxalite-infested belt, security forces were summoned. Other personnel reached the spot after the area was cordoned off. We have recovered the bodies of the flight instructor and the woman pilot which are badly burnt. The spot comes under the Lanji police station", Saurabh added.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Anurag Sharma told PTI the trainer aircraft took off from the Birsi airstrip in Gondia district bordering Balaghat at 3.06 pm. It lost connection with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at 3.11 pm.
"It is widely believed that the charred body was that of pilot Mohit Thakur's (around 25 years)," he said and added the woman trainee pilot, Vrikshanka Maheshwari, (around 20 years) is missing.
"Prima facie, both of them perished in the crash," he added.
The trainer aircraft belongs to IGRAU (Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi). It crashed at the hills near Bhukkutola village in Balaghat district at around 3:30 pm, killing a flight training captain and a female trainee, IGRAU Administrative Officer Satya Kumar told PTI in Gondia.
"The trainer aircraft with flight instructor captain Mohit took off from the Birsi airport on a routine sortie at around 3 PM. It reportedly crashed due to bad weather in the hills near Bhukkutola village," he said.
"The aircraft caught fire in which bodies of captain Mohit and the trainee pilot were badly mutilated. After getting the information, a fire-fighting team and a rescue team from Birsi along with other officials concerned rushed to the spot," he added.
The wreckage of the aircraft was traced on the hills, Kumar said, adding villagers were first to reach the spot.
Ohh My God..!
— Govind Gurjar (@Gurjarrrrr) March 18, 2023
Plane Crash in MP's Balaghat
Trainee Pilot and Captain (instructor) no More in the Crash
Crash happened in Bhakkutola forest of Kirnapur police station area in Balaghat MP.
Trainee Pilot Rukshanka and instructor Mohit no more in the crash
More info awaited pic.twitter.com/KmWObE1W7b
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Karnataka govt to establish Gig Workers’ Welfare Board
Bengaluru, Apr 3 (PTI): The Karnataka government decided to establish a Gig Workers’ Welfare Board, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s office said on Thursday.
The decision was made following a discussion between Siddaramaiah and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.
According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), Rahul Gandhi inquired about the timeline for formulating the Gig Workers' Welfare Act, which he had promised during his Bharat Jodo Yatra and the elections.
"The Karnataka government has decided to establish a Gig Workers' Welfare Board to ensure the well-being of workers employed by companies like Amazon, Flipkart, Ola, Uber, and others," the statement said.
It further stated that a five per cent cess would be collected from the concerned companies, while the state government would provide the remaining funds required to support welfare schemes for gig workers.
"A comprehensive bill covering all aspects of gig workers' welfare will be prepared and presented before the state cabinet for approval," the statement added.
Three gig worker representatives—Rakshitha Dev, Sheikh Salahuddin, and Nikhil Dev—were also invited to the meeting.
They appreciated the government's initiative and expressed hope for improved working conditions.
State ministers Santosh Lad, Priyank Kharge, and M B Patil were present at the meeting.
Santosh Lad was quoted as saying that Rahul Gandhi, who had earlier advocated for gig workers' rights during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, welcomed the eight-point proposal prepared by the Labour department.
Rahul Gandhi also emphasised the need for swift implementation to safeguard gig workers' interests.
"The Karnataka Labour Department has already introduced three key bills—covering workers' gratuity, cinema workers' rights, and now, gig workers' welfare. The unorganised workers' sector has lauded the government's efforts and extended full support for this progressive move," the statement quoted Lad as saying.
