By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR:In a letter to Joint Secretary to Chief Minister, Director, Biju Patnaik International AirPort bearing no-AA1/BA/E-52/3256 dated 15.10.20, AAI has clarified that RTI information provided by the o/o Airport Director Bhubaneswar on 7.10.2020, it is learnt that there was miscommunication in the media about flight details and timings,
“It is clarified that Hon’ble CM’s flight departed on 31.08.2020 at 1012 UTC(1542 IST) from Bhubaneswar and landed back at Bhubaneswar at 1031UTC(1601 IST). All the timings given wef flight movememets are in UTC only as per ICAO standards.To get IST timings 0530 Hrs are added to TUC timings(IST=UTC+05:30),” AAI clarification said copy of which is available with The www.indianewsdiary.com.
“As per our SOP for handling of VVIP flights, VVIP means, Hon’ble President, VP, PM and foreign heads of State and Government. Actual flying time is 19 minutes excluding warm up time, start up time at apron and taxi time to runway and return to apron after landing,” it said.
The clarification of AAI came following media reports basing on RTI information, as Naveen Patnaik’s aerial survey was faked. BJP National VP Baijayant’Jay’Panda and his family owned OTV made an startling revelation citing RTI information on an aerial survey of flood hit areas on August 31 this year by the BJD Supremo, was a faked one and demanded a response from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
“Serious allegation by activists (with RTI- accessed aviation documents) that Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik FAKED an August 31st helicopter aerial survey of flooded districts. Are the videos released then by the state govt fake? If so, it begs many other questions. The CM must respond,” Baijayant Jay Panda had tweeted @PandaJay.
The BJP leader however not mention any RTI documents in his tweets, but The www.indianewsdiary.com, when contacted , noted RT I activist, Pradip Pradhan, however shared all the details. “When knew that Chief Minister Patnaik conducted an aerial survey, we had doubts and filed an RTI application. For that concerned chopper, taking off from Bhubaneswar, conducting aerial survey of Jajpur and again landing at Bhubaneswar Airport is not practical at all in the said time frame,” said RTI activist, Pradeep Pradhan.
Meanwhile, Ramesh Rath, a senior journalist with the Odisha Television Ltd (OTV) was allegedly picked by police from near his residence in Bhubaneswar on Thursday after the TV channel, aired Patnaik’s air travel news citing RTI information.
On August 31, CM Patnaik had conducted an aerial survey of the flood-hit districts in the State and announced an immediate assistance of 50 KG rice and Rs 500 to each of the affected families. As per the RTI reply, a copy of which is available with this News Website, only one helicopter of OSS Air Management with call signal VTOSH had taken off from the Bhubaneswar Airport at 10:12 AM on August 31 and returned at 10:31 AM. The chopper took off and returned to the airport in 19 minutes which included a flight time of only nine and a half minutes.
Bhubaneswar Airport Director PIO, has provided such information to RTI activist, Srikant Pakal bear no AA1/BA/E-52/3132 dated 7.10.20 under RTI Act 2005. Experts opine that the distance between Bhubaneswar and Jajpur is 45 nautical miles which means a trip to Jajpur and return to Bhubaneswar is a distance of about 90 nautical miles. The VTOSH chopper in which Odisha CM flew has a maximum speed of 168 knots and to cover 90 nautical miles in 19 minutes, a craft needs to have a maximum speed of 270 knots.
Former Odisha Police DG and BJP leader Prakash Mishra had few days back alleged about another fake information shared in CMO tweeter, which was immediately removed. “ଇତିମଧ୍ୟରେ @CMO_Odisha ଏବଂ ଅନ୍ୟ ସରକାରୀ handle ମାନେ Oxford University ସମ୍ବନ୍ଧୀୟ tweet କୁ କାଢି ଦେଇଛନ୍ତି । ହୁଏତ କିଏ ତାଙ୍କୁ ଭୂଲ୍ ଖବର ଦେଇଥିଲେ । ତେବେ WHO ର ପ୍ରଶଂସା ବିଷୟ ରେ ଯାହା ବାହାରିଥିଲା ତାହା ସତ ତ ?,” After several people started questioning the authenticity of the claim of the government, the CMO’s Twitter handle deleted one post which referred to the praise by Oxford University. “ଓଡ଼ିଶା ସରକାରଙ୍କ Covid ପରିଚାଳନା କୁ Oxford University ପ୍ରଶଂସା କରିଥିବା ଖବରକାଜମାନଙ୍କରେ ପଢିଲି । Berhampur University କିମ୍ୱା Utkal University କେଉଁ କାରଣରୁ ଏପରଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ପ୍ରଶଂସା କରିନାହାନ୍ତି ତାହା ଚିନ୍ତା ର ବିଷୟ ।,” the former Special DG, NIA, Prakash Mishra had tweeted @PrakashMishra_1. An e-mail sent to the study’s lead authors Samuel V Scarpino, Oliver G Pybus and Moritz UG Kraemer by The Hindustan Times , seeking reply whether the paper praised any particular model of controlling the pandemic, did not elicit any response.
On Wednesday, the State Government had tightened the nose of OTV over Begunia land scam “The Government have been pleased to accord sanction for criminal investigation into sale of Rayati lands belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) persons in Begunia Tehsil in favour of M/s. Odisha lnfra Tech Pvt. Limited through Benami transaction via Rabindra Kumar Sethy, Ex Driver, and ORTEL.” Joint Secretary to Government, Prakash Chandra Mohanty in a letter to Additional Director General, CB-CID, S Priydarshi had said.
CB will look into the alleged fraudulent land transaction by M/S Odisha Infra Tech Pvt Limited in Begunia Tehsil of Khordha district. Odisha Infra-tech Private Limited is a Private incorporated on 23 September 2008. It is classified as Non-govt company and is registered at Registrar of Companies, Cuttack. Its authorized share capital is Rs. 50,000,000 and its paid up capital is Rs. 45,083,180. It is involved in Real estate activities with own or leased property. Directors of Odisha Infra-tech Private Limited are Manoranjan Sarangi. Its registered address is Plot No-N/28, N/29 and N/30/1 Chandaka Industrial Estate, Patia Bhubaneswar, 751024.
On October 12, the Khordha Collector had submitted an investigation report conducted by an independent agency in this matter and had requested the Government to recommend the case to CB-CID for further investigation after he found cheating and fraudulent transaction dispossessing persons belonging to SC as well as exploiting another person belonging to SC for benami transaction..
Last week, MP Mohanty had filed the Criminal complaint under section 190/R/W section 200 of Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 for the offence committed by the accused under section 500 of the IPC.In his petition he alleged “ The accused (OTV, Jagi Mangat Panda and Radha Madhav Mishra ) in connivance and conspiracy with each other and in order to harm the reputation , goodwill and respect of the Complainant have designed the fake stories and largely published and circulated it on social media News Channel (OTV) which has caused loss of mental peace, trauma and tremendous stress to the Complainant.”
“ The image of the Complainant has been tarnished by the accused persons jointly by publishing defamatory news. The complainant is a Member of Parliament and resides within the territorial jurisdiction of this honorable court. The witnesses also reside in Delhi. AS such, this Hon’ble court has jurisdiction to try, entertain and take cognizance of the present complain.”, the had petition stated.
