Telangana & HP’s drone policies be studied for replication here: Delhi L-G to chief secy

NEW DELHI: Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has directed the Delhi chief secretary to examine the possibility of replicating the drone policies of Telangana and Himachal Pradesh in the national capital, days after a blast near the Red Fort claimed 15 lives.

In a communication to the chief secretary on Wednesday, Saxena’s office said the horrific Delhi terror incident has brought out certain security dimensions into sharp focus. His office also directed that action taken on these matters may be submitted to this office within three weeks.

“These have a direct bearing on public order and need to be addressed on priority,” read the communication.

Pointing out that the Centre has launched the Digital Sky platform for registration of all drones, it said the Home Department and the Delhi Police should seek dynamic access to this database, given the heightened risks of usage of drones for non-civilian use.

“Some states, such as Himachal Pradesh and Telangana, have brought out drone policies through their IT departments, which seek to strike a balance between demands of economic development, e-governance and academic research on one hand and the security imperative on the other. These should also be studied and the possibility of their replication in Delhi examined,” said the communication from the L-G’s office. The Telangana Drone policy states the government will establish a Telangana Drone City that would become India’s leading Unmanned Aerial Vehicles test and business centre. This will foster a drone ecosystem and will enable sharing of resources, best practices and promote innovation.

The Himachal Pradesh Drone Policy envisions creating a holistic drone ecosystem built upon the foundation of Governance and Reforms Using Drones. It aims to harness digital sky opportunities through institutional linkages with the National Education Policy, 2020, HP Industrial Investment Policy, HP Start-up/Innovation Scheme and National Skill Qualification Framework for ensuring future readiness of students and empowering them to access the job opportunities in the drone sector.

The L-G flagged gaps in background checks for medical staff and vehicle resale records, directing centralised verification and stricter tracking. He also pushed drone-enabled development, noting recent security lapses highlighted by the Red Fort blast.