PM's helicopter returns to Guwahati due to technical snag

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's helicopter returned midway from a flight to strife-torn Kokrajhar district today due to a technical problem. The Prime Minister's helicopter returned 15 minutes after take off from the Lokopriyo Bordoloi International Airport here, official sources said.

 Initial reports said the Prime Minister's helicopter and two others with his entourage returned to the airport because of bad weather, but airport authority sources later said that the cause was a technical problem the details of which could only be confirmed by the PMO's office.

The Prime Minister's programme was, however, notcancelled and he would leave for Kokrajhar by an IAF helicopter after routine security checks, the sources said. The Prime Minister was scheduled to review the situation with the BTAD authorities and visit two relief camps.

Earlier, Singh arrived by a special aircraft from New Delhi. Assam governor J B Patnaik, chief minister Tarun Gogoi, his cabinet colleagues, chief secretary N K Das and director general of police J N Chowdhury were present at the airport.