No helicopter renewal application pending during CM's flight, Kerala SPC tells Lok Ayuktha
State Police Chief Ravada Chandrasekhar informed the Lok Ayuktha that Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan did not gain any financial benefit from his recent flight.
State Police Chief (SPC) Ravada Chandrasekhar told the Lok Ayuktha that no application from Chipson Aviation to extend helicopter services was awaiting government approval when Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan took a special flight to Malappuram recently.
According to The Hindu, the SPC stated that the Chief Minister, who also holds the disaster management portfolio, undertook the journey to visit Nilambur, T.K. Colony, and Pookkothumpadam after six people were swept away in the Kottapuzha river on September 20.
Mr. Chandrasekhar informed a Division Bench consisting of Lok Ayuktha N. Anilkumar and Upa Lok Ayuktha Ashok Menon that the Chief Minister received no pecuniary benefit from the trip.
He noted that the agreement for wet leasing the helicopter service was set to expire automatically on September 19, 2026.
The SPC said the government had no plans to extend the current arrangement or seek new bids for helicopter hiring. He dismissed allegations by petitioner K.M. Shajahan that Chipson Aviation had proposed pay-per-use services at rates of ₹24 lakh or ₹23.2 lakh per flying hour.
Mr. Chandrasekhar further stated that the claim regarding the firm having a commercial interest in a pending government decision was false and baseless. The Lok Ayuktha has issued a notice to the State Chief Secretary regarding the case.