In the wake of the recent helicopter crash which claimed life of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S R Reddy, the Central government has decided to impose stringent safety norms on operation of state aircraft and choppers. The decision was taken at a meeting held by the Civil Aviation ministry with officials of State governments on Air Services Operations in New Delhi on Tuesday. According to the Civil Aviation Ministry, currently, 14 helicopters and 21 aircraft are operated by State governments but only Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan government have got non-scheduled operator permit (NSOP), while other states are operating without any permit. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will carry out one-time safety audit on all aircraft and helicopters of the state governments and all state pilots will be subjected to one time check under the supervision of DGCA flight inspectors. It will also issue comprehensive regulations for operations, airworthiness and safety aspects of state government air services. DGCA will enforce the principle of "One level Safety" on all types of operations- commercial, general, helicopters and state governments – to ensure all round safety.<br/> <br/>