State to shell more money for buying two helicopters

Mumbai: The State government will have to shell out Rs 73 crore more to Sikorsky Aircraft for purchasing two helicopters due to the continuous falling rate of Indian Rupee against the dollar. The helicopters are being purchased for movement of VIPs, including the chief minister. 

In May this year, the government decided to buy two more helicopters for anti-Maoist operations and facilitate movement of VIPs, including the chief minister, where the government had decided to pay Rs 127.11 crore. 

Also, the State government had sanctioned the amount for making payments in two instalments.

A Sikorsky S76-D from US firm Lockheed Martin will be used for VIP movement, while an Airbus H145 will carry security forces and ensure medical assistance to them.

The proposal to buy new choppers was cleared in September last year. An empowered committee headed by the then chief secretary Sumit Mullick had approved the purchase after studying technical and financial bids in April.

The total amount of Rs 127.11 crore, was decided on the assumption that  one US dollar will be equal to Rs 70. And Rs 25.42 crore was decided to be paid in advance and the remaining Rs 101.69 crore was to be paid after the delivery. 

In last few days, the Indian Rupees is falling continuously against the US dollar, so the General Administration Department (GAD) escalated the total cost of the two helicopters to Rs 190.27 crore anticipating that one US dollar will br equal to Rs 80.  

Currently, the State government owns two helicopters and two aircraft. Of the two, the S76C++ was in service, while another, Dauphin AS 365 N-3 flew till 2011 and was grounded for want of repairs. The latter was bought at Rs 23 crore in 2001.

Of the two aircraft, the Cessna Citation 560XLS was bought in 2013 and is in service, while the Superking AB 300 has been grounded after 11 years.

The Maharashtra government decided to buy Sikorsky S76-D helicopter following the crash landing of its chopper Sikorsky S-76C++ in Latur in May last year. The Sikorsky S-76C++ was carrying Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and five others who escaped miraculously despite substantial damage to the chopper.