The contract for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of state government-owned Dauphin AS 365 helicopter, which is used by the Chief Minister, VVIPs and state guests, to a company which is allegedly not qualified has raised a storm. A petition has been filed in the Gujarat High Court accusing the maintenance company of not having requisite experience to handle the contract and alleging connivance between the company and state government’s Civil Aviation Department officials.
What raises the suspicion further is the fact that the state government terminated the contract with Aryan Aviation, to maintain its 11-year-old helicopter, five months before it was to expire after the petition was filed. CM Vijay Rupani, who was attending the Republic Day function in Anand in January 2017, could not fly back to Gandhinagar after the chopper developed a snag.
Mirror had raised questions about poor upkeep of the chopper in its January 28, 2017, edition. However, the same company — Aryan Aviation — continued maintaining the helicopter till November, 2017. The state government cancelled the contract in November last year though it was due to get over on April 28, 2018. Director of Gujarat Civil Aviation department Ajay Chauhan did not comment on the issue and only said, “The matter is sub judice.”
Aviation Aryan Aviation has been accused of forging their experience certificate to participate in the bidding process of the state government. Incidentally, the same company also maintains Jharkhand government’s helicopter. The company supplied a helicopter to ferry Jharkhand Chief Minister which crash-landed on May 8, 2012, fracturing then CM Arjun Munda’s hand and injuring his wife. Five others, including the pilot, also suffered serious injuries in the accident.
23/01/18 Alok Brahmbhatt and Nikunj Soni/Ahmedabad Mirror
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What raises the suspicion further is the fact that the state government terminated the contract with Aryan Aviation, to maintain its 11-year-old helicopter, five months before it was to expire after the petition was filed. CM Vijay Rupani, who was attending the Republic Day function in Anand in January 2017, could not fly back to Gandhinagar after the chopper developed a snag.
Mirror had raised questions about poor upkeep of the chopper in its January 28, 2017, edition. However, the same company — Aryan Aviation — continued maintaining the helicopter till November, 2017. The state government cancelled the contract in November last year though it was due to get over on April 28, 2018. Director of Gujarat Civil Aviation department Ajay Chauhan did not comment on the issue and only said, “The matter is sub judice.”
Aviation Aryan Aviation has been accused of forging their experience certificate to participate in the bidding process of the state government. Incidentally, the same company also maintains Jharkhand government’s helicopter. The company supplied a helicopter to ferry Jharkhand Chief Minister which crash-landed on May 8, 2012, fracturing then CM Arjun Munda’s hand and injuring his wife. Five others, including the pilot, also suffered serious injuries in the accident.
23/01/18 Alok Brahmbhatt and Nikunj Soni/Ahmedabad Mirror
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