Cash-strapped Punjab to shell out Rs 38 cr for chopper
Thursday, 02/08/2012
http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/cash-strapped-punjab-shell-out-rs-38-cr-chopper/54054
Parkash Singh Badal led SAD-BJP government has been blaming the former Congress government and the Centre for its empty coffers and even plans to impose fresh taxes worth Rs 4,500 crore but the ‘cash starved’ government has placed an order for helicopter for the CM and his deputy.
The civil aviation department of the state has signed a purchase agreement with US-based Bell Helicopters to purchase Bell 429- a specially designed twin-engine five-seater chopper, worth Rs 38 crore for CM and his son Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal.
An official disclosed that the government will pay 20 per cent payment in advance and rest after the delivery of helicopter in November.
Meanwhile, as per sources, the government is desirous of having its own helicopter as it has to shell out a minimum of Rs 15 crore every year to hire helicopters. Also, it was becoming difficult to hire such helicopters that adhere to the new guidelines issued by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for flying VVIPs.
An official requesting anonymity said, “There are only a few such flying machines and they can’t be hired on a permanent basis. At times, when the chief minister or the deputy CM had to fly, there was no helicopter available.”
The state owned only one flying machine which crashed in 2008, during a test run, killing both the pilots. Since then, the government has been dependent on private firms for hiring choppers. Currently, there is a twin-engine helicopter hired from Global Vetra. Earlier, there was a Pawan Hans helicopter.
The government has also decided to hire three pilots and a team of technical staff to fly and maintain the helicopter. The new guidelines issued by the civil aviation ministry, every state government will have to keep chief engineers and other technical staff permanently, whether it owns a helicopter or airplane itself or has aired it.
