Forget Mono Rail. Aero-transport System is the next big thing in the state. Chief Minister Raghubar Das during a meeting with the eight member delegation from Czech Republic lead by its Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Jiri Koliba on Wednesday, discussed over the possibilities of aero-transport system in Jharkhand. The delegation was on a two day visit of Ranchi to discuss how they can extend their support in modernizing and bringing new technologies for the Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC) limited.
“We called on Chief Minister Raghubar Das yesterday and had a thorough discussions related to the possibilities of cooperation in the line of municipal transport and water resources – both water resource management and waste water management, in the field of technical knowhow and equipments,” said Minister Koliba.
According to Koliba, another important topic, which was discussed at large between the two sides was on the issue aero-traffic or aero-transportation system.
“Idea behind is that the authorities in New Delhi are just about to finalise the new aviation policy for the Country and we would like to be a part of the new policy as we are the Country which preserve the capacity to design and construct small aircrafts up to 19C’s which could easily be converted and used for several different purposes like air-ambulance, agriculture and air cargo,” said the Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade of Czech Republic.
Koliba also believed that the Czech Republic and Government of Jharkhand could move together with a view to reach out to the remotest areas of the state to increase the mobility of people living there. The minister also claimed to have the credit of having companies which not only construct small aircrafts but also small airports, including mobile airports, equipped with all facilities like navigation and controlling systems.
Asserting the fact that HEC was an important enterprise of the region, the Czech delegation wanted to take the chance of cooperation with HEC as a challenge and they wanted to fully comply with this project of further cooperation.
The delegation assured to extend all possible support in the modernization of the existing facilities in the three plants owned by Heavy Engineering Corporation limited (HEC) in Ranchi by introducing new technologies, new equipments etc, and planned refurbishing of old plant and machinery of Czech origin, by Czech companies.
“Purpose of this visit was to refresh and bring in new movements to the cooperation between the two Countries, in particular between the Czech Republic and Government of Jharkhand,” said the Minister.
The Czech delegation also showed its keenness and seriousness to reconstruct and upgrade HEC’s facilities with the state of the art technology as it continues to use the plant and machinaries created by the Czech and Russians.
Though, technical assistance with the plant and machinery for setting up such a big mother industry in 1950’s was made possible with the help of erstwhile Soviet Union block countries, the Foundry Forge Plant and Heavy Machine Tools Plant were set up under the technical collaboration of the then Czechoslovakia. Heavy Machine Building Plant however, was established under technical collaboration of USSR.
The Czech made equipment such as machine tools and forge presses are still the life line in the production cycle of HEC. Having diversified from the steel sector supplies, over the years, into mining, power, engineering, defense, nuclear energy, space sectors, the dire need for modernization of its plant and machinery along with infusion of the state of the art technology is urgently felt.