Gujarat govt non-committal on when seaplane service will resume

AHMEDABAD: Despite stating that it intends to restart the seaplane service, the Gujarat government was non-committal on an expected date for resumption during the budget session of the state assembly on Friday.
In reply to a question, the government said the seaplane service will resume after completing the procedures prescribed under the rules. Sabarmati MLA Harshad Patel had sought to know if the government was going to restart seaplane services and by when. Patel also asked whether the service would be restarted on the same route, between Sabarmati riverfront and Kevadia.
The seaplane service began on October 31, 2020, but was stopped after a few months and has not been restarted yet.
To another question, the state government said that between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2022, it had spent Rs 20.81 crore on maintenance and operation of its aircraft. It acquired a new jet aircraft on November 21, 2019.
The government was replying to a question by Porbandar MLA Arjun Modhwadia. Modhwadia sought to know if the government had bought a new aircraft and how much was paid for its maintenance and operation. The Government replied that in the two years since the aircraft was purchased for Rs 197.90 crore, it has paid Rs 20.81 crore towards maintenance expenses to Indamer Aviation Private and for operational expenses to Raymond Limited.
To a question by Jamalpur MLA Imran Khedawala, the government said that between February 1, 2022, and January 31, 2023, the government used its old turboprop aircraft on 125 occasions, its helicopter on 178 occasions and its new jet aircraft on 183 occasions.
The government said the expenses incurred on maintenance, pilot and other staffers between February 1, 2021, and January 31, 2022, was Rs 4.03 crore and in the same period of 2022-2023 was Rs 4.02 crore.