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Rs 30 crore chopper is on sale for barely Rs 4 crore in Rajasthan. Find out details

The directorate of civil aviation, which has tried to sell off this chopper about a dozen times in the past, had fixed its price at Rs 4.5 crore. 

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan government is trying to sell an Agusta helicopter which has become a ‘white elephant in its fleet after it was grounded for almost a decade. 

Though the state government bought the chopper for about Rs 30 crores in 2005, it is now ready to sell the same for barely Rs 4 crore. However, the government is still unable to find any buyers. Since 2011, this helicopter kept at the state Hangar in Jaipur is turning into junk. 

Fresh tenders are now being invited for the flying machine along with spares and tools. The directorate of civil aviation, which has tried to sell off this chopper about a dozen times in the past, had fixed its price at Rs 4.5 crore. 

The helicopter was procured during Vasundhara Raje’s first tenure as the CM in 2005. In 2011, following a technical glitch during a flight with the then Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on board, it was forced to be grounded. Officials said since then the chopper was considered ‘jinxed’ as it had put the life of Gehlot at risk. Ever since no CM has ever travelled in this helicopter and it is rusting at the state hanger. 

Originally, this twin-engine A109E power helicopter with an in-built bar-refrigerator was meant to ferry VVIPs and procured at a cost of Rs 30 crores from Italian firm AgustaWestland. Sources in the government admit that the chopper has earned the tag of being jinxed after it suffered the technical glitch in November 2011 with then CM Ashok Gehlot and other people on board. Though the VIP and the two pilots managed to land the chopper safely, it was never used again as the machine was considered jinxed.

Over the past decade, this chopper became a huge headache for the Rajasthan government. Though there have been 11 attempts to sell it, the chopper has found no takers. Recently, Chief secretary Niranjan Arya at a high-level meeting decided to re-auction this Agusta helicopter and directed officials to submit fresh proposals in this regard.

 The Chief secretary reportedly discussed in detail with the officials the present status of the Agusta helicopter and the feasibility of future use. Finally, in the meeting, it was agreed to sell off the Agusta helicopter through auction and the civil aviation department was directed to invite tenders to sell the chopper at a plus-minus rate from the reserve price. But with the chopper considered ‘jinxed’ and no CM having travelled in it for about 10 years, finding buyers for this Agusta helicopter which has been stranded at the state hanger won’t be easy.