Even smallest states of India have a separate division to maintain a fleet of helicopters for state dignitaries. But Karnataka has no such division due to various lightweight excuses.
The Central Director of the Civil Aviation Department had advised the Karnataka government to have a separate division for state government's helicopter travels. But none of it seems to have been taken seriously by the personnel at the chief minister’s office.
In a glaring example of such casualness, even as the Congress party has been facing flak for the Agusta Westland chopper deal, Karnataka's Congress chief minister Siddaramaiah has also been using Agusta Westland helicopters for his air travels.
In fact, helicopters made by Agusta Westland have been flying in Karnataka without any consideration for seven years now. Shockingly, even though no flight was booked from 2010 to 2011, the state has paid ₹3.1 lakh per day, amounting to ₹64 crore per year, for a hired Augusta Westland chopper that apparently sat idle.
Karnataka has never invited a tender for providing helicopter services to VVIPs. Examining the data from 2009 to 2015, obtained by Suvarna News and Kannada Prabha via an RTI application, private chopper services like OSS, VRL, Chipson, Swajas, Deccan, SSA, Pawan Hans and GMR have provided helicopter services to state dignitaries.
Each time the chief minister or governor requested a chopper ride, these private companies used to send whichever helicopter was available with a new pilot.
