Maha Dy CM Eknath Shinde stranded at airport as pilot refuses to fly beyond duty hours
PTC News Desk: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was stranded at Jalgaon airport after pilot of his personal aircraft refused to take off citing end of his duty hours resulting in delay for over one hour.
The incident occurred as the Shiv Sena chief was preparing to depart from Jalgaon, where he had taken part in the 'Palkhi Yatra'—a religious procession honoring Sant Muktai in Muktainagar.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was expected to arrive in Jalgaon at 3:45 pm, but his arrival was delayed by nearly two and a half hours due to technical issues. Upon reaching, he proceeded to Muktainagar by road.
He was accompanied by ministers Girish Mahajan, Gulabrao Patil, and several administrative officials.
After attending the Palkhi Yatra and visiting the Sant Muktai temple, Mr. Shinde and his delegation returned to the Jalgaon airport around 9:15 pm. However, the pilot declined to operate the flight, citing that his duty hours had ended. He explained that getting new clearance to fly would require additional time.
- With inputs from agencies
