Karnataka Government’s helicopter sold for Rs 105 million

After lying idle for more than 30 months with no pilot coming forward to fly it, the Karnataka Government’s only official helicopter has finally been sold for Rs 105 million.

The sleek Dauphin helicopter, which was once used to ferry the Chief Minister and other VVIPs, had been grounded at Pawan Hans in Mumbai, one of the country’s biggest helicopter operators. Even while lying idle, the chopper had turned out to be white elephant by incurring a huge maintenance cost.

The helicopter has been sold for a price of Rs 105 million to Pawan Hans at whose airbase in Mumbai the chopper had remained grounded.

“At last, we sold it. The chopper had turned out to be a white elephant. We spent millions of rupees for its maintenance without making use of it for the last 30 months”, said an apparently relieved official of Karnataka Government’s protocol wing.

Karnataka Government had bought the helicopter for Rs 270 million during 1998 to ferry Chief Ministers and other VVIPs across the State. The going was smooth until the aviation sector in the country began experiencing a boom three years ago, leading to a sudden spurt in salaries of pilots.

The Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 offered by the Government as salary to the pilots proved to be peanuts to the high-fliers, who, almost overnight, began commanding salaries ranging from Rs 100,000 to 150,000 in private airlines. A recruitment drive launched by the Government drew a blank. With virtually no takers for the post of pilot for the Government helicopter, the Dauphin helicopter remained grounded at Pawan Hans in Mumbai.

The last person to fly the State Government’s Dauphin helicopter was a retired pilot by name Vasan. He quit in 2003, leaving the Dauphin at Pavan Hans in Mumbai.

Even by remaining idle at Pawan Hans, the chopper entailed an expenditure of Rs 250,000 to the Government towards its maintenance. Besides, a huge sum was spent on its repairs when heavy rains in Mumbai submerged the chopper. “The last 30 months of grounding had left a big hole in the exchequer. A total of Rs 7.5 million had spent on its maintenance and repair”, the official said.

The protocol wing of the Karnataka Department has found that it was more economical to use chartered helicopters than owning one and maintaining it. “The Government’s failure to find a pilot to fly the chopper and the huge costs involved in its maintenance had forced us to dispose it off”, the official added.