Deoghar Airport ATC turns tourism spot; FIR against Nishikant Dubey
By Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi, September 3: The FIR number 37 was slapped against the Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey, after the air-traffic controller at the Deoghar Airport turned into a picnic-cum-tourism spot, while the Parliamentarian from the Godda Lok Sabha seat entered into a public spat with the local district magistrate Manjunath Bhajantri.
Dubey, who is among the few BJP MPs who flies in chartered planes, was seen in exchange of sharp comments with Bhajantri in a series of tweets.
The video footage widely circulated on social media platforms showed a number of people, seemingly passengers, barging into the air-traffic controller office, and indulging in sight-seeing with their binoculars.
Incidentally, there were no official flights, since night take off from the newly-inaugurated airport is still not allowed. The airport appears hurriedly inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi since the locals have for long been complaining that the flights from New Delhi are invariably cancelled, while the airport is yet to provide connectivity to other major destinations such as Bengaluru despite being an international airport.
Reacting to some of the tweets of Dubey, the Deoghar district magistrate Manjunath Bhajantri tweeted: “Hon’ble MP Sir, Night landing matter is subjudice, wud (would) not like to comment on it. But, when night landing facility/IFR is not there, and so many flights getting cancelled every other day, how did your chartered plane took off at 1817hours when the sunset time was 1803hours?.”
This statement by the Deoghar DM evidently makes allegation that Dubey violated the airport rules and forced his chartered flight to take off even while it wasn’t allowed.
Dubey retorted DM’s tweet by stating “I took the necessary permission from the Airport authorities, and as Chairman of the Airport Advisory Committee, I have the right to inspect. I am in High Court fighting a case for your delay in facilitating night landing facilities. You are in contempt of court.”
So, Dubey is alleged by the local DM of taking his children and supporters to the high security ATC.
Bhajantri further snapped, “Hon’ble MP Sir, Few questions. 1. Who authorised you to enter ATC Room? 2. Who authorised your two children to enter ATC Room? 3. Who authorised your supporters to enter ATC Building?”
While Jharkhand Police had slapped 36 FIRs against Dubey and his wife previously, the 37th FIR now has his children also named for violating the airport rules.
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