VIJAYAWADA: The State government has strongly refuted allegations that it purchased a new helicopter for Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s tours, terming them ‘false propaganda’. Officials clarified that the government had merely hired an advanced chopper for security and operational reasons.
Sources said that due to recurring technical problems with the helicopter used by the Chief Minister, the government opted for another on hire and had not purchased one.
The government had been using a Bell company helicopter for the CM and VVIP visits on a hire basis. However, technical snags during a trip of the Chief Minister and Union Minister Piyush Goyal from Tirupati to Krishnapatnam port, which led to cancellation of the tour, prompted discussions on replacing it for security reasons.
Considering the frequent glitches and delays in take-off, the CM’s security wing recommended hiring a more reliable option.
Officials said the new chopper would cost less than the earlier one, while offering better security and the ability to travel anywhere in the State.
In the past, when visiting far-off districts, the Chief Minister had to fly by plane to the nearest airport and then switch to a helicopter, which was time-consuming. With the new chopper, the CM and other VVIPs can directly travel to any destination within the State, saving time.
After reviewing all issues, the government decided to use an Airbus H160 helicopter on hire in place of the old one.