No application for renewal of helicopter service was pending before govt. when CM took special flight, Keralam SPC tells Lok Ayuktha
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State Police Chief (SPC) Ravada Chandrasekhar informed the Lok Ayuktha that no application from Chipson Aviation for extending helicopter service was pending before the State government when Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan undertook a special flight journey to oversee relief operations in rain-hit areas of Malappuram recently. He added that the Chief Minister had not gained any pecuniary benefit by undertaking the journey.
The agreement between the SPC and the company for wet leasing the helicopter service stood automatically terminated on September 19, 2026. As per Clause 16 of the agreement, it shall stand automatically terminated on expiry on September 19/09/2026 and any decision for its extension had to be taken before the expiry of the agreement. However, no decision was taken for its extension as the government did not intend to proceed further in the matter.
The Chief Minister, who also holds the portfolio of disaster management, decided to visit Nilambur, T.K. Colony, Pookkothumpadam, where six people were swept away on September 20 in a flash flood in the Kottapuzha river, Mr. Chandrasekhar informed a Division Bench consisting of Lok Ayuktha N. Anilkumar and Upa Lok Ayuktha Ashok Menon.
Mr. Chandrasekhar termed the allegation of the petitioner, K.M. Shajahan, that after the expiry of the existing agreement, Chipsan Aviation had submitted a proposal for providing helicopter services on a pay-per-use basis and a twin-engine helicopter was reportedly offered at ₹24 lakh per flying hour and a single-engine helicopter at ₹23.2 lakh per flying hour as false and baseless.
As the government had no intention to renew or invite a fresh bid for hiring a helicopter, the allegation that the firm had a direct and substantial commercial interest in a matter to be decided by the State government was absolutely false, he submitted.
The Lok Ayuktha later issued notice to the State Chief Secretary in the case..
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