Vigilance lid over suspected chopper scam in Gujarat

Ahmedabad: There is a hint of a scam in Gujarat government’s aviation department, one which should alert VVIPs who fly the Dauphin-N3 chopper purchased by the Gujarat government two years ago.
An inquiry by the state vigilance department has, however, brushed the issue under the carpet. Director of aviation Ajay Chauhan has himself admitted in response to an application filed under Right To Information (RTI) Act that his pilot training in Manila, Philippines, was entirely sponsored by Eurocopter, France, the firm which makes Dauphin helicopters. It was on Chauhan’s recommendation that Rs 42 crores of tax-payers’ money was spent on this flying machine meant for senior government functionaries.
The training, according to Chauhan, was done at Master Flying School, Manila. Chauhan has evaded a reply to related queries about expenses involved in this training, the types of aircraft he flew, for what duration etc. He has replied to the RTI application by saying “for exact details, you may contact (a) Master Flying School, Manila, Philippines, (b) M/s Eurocopter, France”. In the reply to the application filed by a former helicopter pilot of the Gujarat government, Lt Col D Hingorani, Chauhan has also declined to give details of the terms of the contract between Eurocopter and Gujarat government.
It was on the basis of the certificate provided by Master Flying School that Chauhan, a former Indian Air Force pilot, got a commercial pilot’s licence from Philippines.
06/09/09 Paul John/Times of India

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Sep 2009