As hundreds of pilgrims from Punjab have been trapped near the Sikh shrine of Hemkund Sahib in calamity-hit Uttarakhand, the Punjab Government hired a private helicopter on Wednesday to airlift them.
The helicopter has been hired by the State Government on the instruction of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who is away in london to attend a private event along with his son and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, his son-in-law and Food and Supplies Minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon, among others.
A spokesperson of the State government said the helicopter would be pressed into service in coordination with the authorities in Uttarakhand to rescue stuck pilgrims from Punjab.
He said that a four-member team of senior Punjab government officials has already left for Dehradun, capital of Uttarakhand, to monitor the entire ongoing rescue operation and ensure the safe return of the Sikh pilgrims. “This team would also visit Joshimath and Sri Hemkund Sahib to minutely observe and coordinate the rescue operations,” the spokesperson added.
The pilgrims from Punjab have been stranded in the area around the Sikh shrine following cloudburst, heavy rain, and landslides causing road blockades at several places following three-day continuous rain.
Punjab Chief Secretary Rakesh Singh along with his officers is keeping in touch with the Uttarakhand administration to provide all types of help and support for this massive rescue operation.