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CM's chopper has landed, search on for its location | Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister K Rosiah on Wednesday confirmed that the state government helicopter carrying Chief Minister YS Rajshekhar Reddy landed
in a forest area in Chitoor district, and efforts are on to locate it. Addressing
a news conference in the state capital, Rosiah said: "All state and central forces
are on alert. At the moment, we are still tracing the location of the missing
chopper, which has landed in the forests in the Chitoor-Nellore area. We are finding
a way to reach the place." Rosiah said the state government has alerted the Union
Home Ministry about the missing chopper. He said search choppers, including two
Indian Air Force Chetak helicopters have been roped in for the search operations.
He said that after 9.35 a.m., contact had been lost with the chopper carrying
the chief minister. Rosiah said that the Prime Minister's office as well as the
offices of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Defence
Minister A.K. Antony are being kept posted about the latest developments. He also
issued an appeal to the public to contribute to the search effort. Rosiah's briefing
came as Andhra Pradesh Police continues their search for the missing chopper of
the chief minister. According to police sources, a civilian copter, air force
helicopters and the army has been pushed in to the search operation. Panic was
created around Wednesday noon as Reddy was reported untraceable for nearly four
hours. Reddy was on his way to Chitoor, by chopper which initial reports said
had made an emergency landing near Kurnool due to inclement weather. The chopper
took off at 8.45 a.m. for Chitoor and was scheduled to arrive here at 10.45 a.m,
sources said. The chopper was said to have landed in the middle a of thick forest,
said to be affected by Maoist activities. The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) confirmed
receiving a message of the emergency landing of the chopper, but nothing thereafter.
Till now, no one has confirmed the movements of Reddy. The Union Home Ministry
is monitoring the search operations, as Kurnool is a Naxal affected area. Air
Traffic Control (ATC) sources said the chopper went off the radar due to heavy
rains. The CMO maintains there is no need to worry as the area has no mobile connectivity.
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