CM Kiran to hire a chopper for now!

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy is facing a problem owing to lack of State-owned choppers.

The officials concerned are feeling it difficult to have a chopper on hire every time. Now, a file came to CM Kiran Kumar Reddy himself  to finalise the deal of having a chopper on a permanent rental basis which may cost Rs 2 crore per month instead of going for temporary hiring. 

The Augusta (Westland) helicopter of the State government was destroyed in a fire mishap at Begumpet airport in December, 2012. It was purchased in 2009 at a cost of Rs 63 crore. Since then, the officials have been on the run for booking choppers whenever there was a requirement. The government proposed to have a new chopper from Augusta Westland. But the Centre had blacklisted the company over the chopper scam that rocked the nation a few months ago and the investigation is still continuing.  The issue of having a new one came back to square one. 

Hiring choppers became a major task for officials as leaders like Advani and Mayawati booked helicopters in advance in view of Karnataka assembly polls. When the issue came to the notice of Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, he directed the officials to go for a new one. For the time being, the government will have a chopper on rental basis. 

-Hyderabad, Sakshipost