Mr. Khandu Dorjee’s helicopter still missing

Mukesh Sharma

A total of six helicopters were today pressed into service to locate the chopper carrying Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Dorjee Khandu and four others which went missing yesterday even as ground operations were stepped up on both Indian and Bhutanese sides.
Home secretary GK Pillai said that two helicopters flew into Bhutanese side and four flew over the Indian areas but without any luck.
"We have about 25 search parties scouring along the areas and the Royal Bhutanese Army were conducting the search in their areas. The search operations were focussed on the areas where people claim to have seen a heliopter flying around yesterday morning," he said.
Pillai said that the operation will resume early morning and they are hopeful of locating the chief minister's chopper till tomorrow
Tenzin Taklha, joint secretary at the Dalai Lama’s office, told IANS . His Holiness is deep concerned about the situation and is praying for the safe return of Dorjee Khandu and others”.
The Nobel laureate is currently present in Japan, there only he offered prayers and provided comfort to the survivors of the massive March 11 earthquake.
On the invitation of Khandu in November 2009 Dalai Lama had visited Arunachal Pradesh. The Dalai Lama inaugurated a hospital there for which he contributed Rs.2 million.
Tawang was the route adopted in 1959 by Dalai Lama to escaped the Chinese authorities and to enter India. The sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso, was born in the Tawang region in 1682.