Army help to be sought in search for missing copter

Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, Aug 9 (UNI) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh today said Army's help would be sought to search the Bell 436 helicopter that went missing on August 3 with four people on board while en route from Hyderabad to Raipur.

''Every possible effort is being made in the search. The Centre's assistance is being taken. Discussions are underway with Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and other states,'' he told UNI after bhoomi pujan of a medical college building at nearby Dimrapal village.

Additional Director-General of Police (Intelligence) Girdhari Nayak and Inspector-General (Bastar Range) N M Upadhyay are also part of the search mission.

Dr Singh laid the foundation stone for a Rs 68-crore medical college at Dimrapal and announced that honorarium of special police officers, engaged in anti-naxal operations, would henceforth be Rs 3,150 in place of the present Rs 1,500 per month.

Police parties were dispatched to the mountainous region, close to Paraspal in Dantewada district and Gangalur in Bijapur district in search of the copter.

''Police parties on foot patrol were dispatched after an Indian Airlines search aircraft indicated the possibility of finding the wreckage in forest area,'' said Dantewada's Superintendent of Police Rahul Sharma.

The jungle area is heavily infested by rebels.

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