MUMBAI: The assembly elections have provided a booster shot to the Indian helicopter charter industry, which was reeling under the impact of the Covid pandemic. Industry insiders say that it’s the first time ever that helicopters have been in high demand for assembly poll campaign in states like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Assam.
In states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat, political parties use helicopters like cars, but the scene was different in other states, said an industry veteran.
“Traditionally, politicians in the south opt for to roadshows and use the media for canvassing. But in this election, almost 10-12 helicopters are being used, which is somewhat of a record,” said Capt Uday Gelli, western region president, Rotary Wing Society of India. “In West Bengal and Assam, which are larger states and are also experiencing intense competition, an estimated 20-plus helicopters are being used,” he added.
Polls help chopper charters fly out of Covid mire | India News indiatimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from indiatimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
India
January 18, 2021
Last Tuesday, Delhi deployed teachers from government schools to bird duty to stand as sentries at border points and check for any illegal transportation of poultry into the city state
, in the midst of a spreading outbreak of avian flu. From 8 pm to 6 am, the teachers were instructed to check the birds’ veterinary certificates and to prohibit chicken products from being shipped into Delhi.
The order raised the hackles of the Government School Teachers Association, which said that teachers couldn’t be expected to pull night shifts after spending their days in online classes. “Sir, the teaching community selflessly served when the government and the citizens needed them for Covid-19 prevention,” the teachers’ letter to the government remarked. Now the government was “taking advantage of the situation and just harassing teachers into unjustified duties.”
NEW DELHI – Under a rain-slick tarpaulin, a half-dozen elderly women bake
roti on a wood-fired griddle flattening dough, flipping browned bread from dawn until the sun retreats into Delhi’s evening smoke. Anyone who walks in gets served rice and cooked vegetables and, to wash it down, a cumin-flavored yogurt drink.
Across the road, Jagjeet Singh, a burly man with a large fanny pack and a light purple turban, churns a hefty pot of milk coffee from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. In the evenings, Singh switches to hot milk spiced with turmeric and cloves good for the cold, good for the day’s exhaustion. He goes through about 260 gallons of milk daily.