Andhra Pradesh govt to purchase new jet for chief minister

The Andhra Pradesh Aviation Corporation Limited (APACL) is planning to purchase a jet aircraft at Rs150 crore for chief minister, a govt official said.

"We plan to buy a 15-seater jet aircraft at a cost of over Rs150 crore. We hope the new airports will be in place at least in some places by the time the jet comes in," the official said.

The proposal finds a mention in the demand for grants for roads, buildings and ports department for year 2011-12 placed in the Assembly today by the roads and buildings (R&B) minister Dharmana Prasada Rao.

Interestingly, former chief minister K Rossaiah had fasked the officials "not to entertain any such proposals" following which the state government "dropped" it's plan to purchase the jet aircraft "considering the economics and operational aspects", sources said.

The APAC seems to have revived the proposal again this year given the current security scenario and the "expedient needs" of the chief minister, official sources said.

The APAC, a state-owned body, initially had two helicopters namely Bell 430 and Agusta Westland 139 (AW-139) in its fleet before the Bell 430 was destroyed in a crash that killed the then chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy on September 2, 2009.

The APAC is running its operations with the existing AW-139 for "flying commitments of VIPs, including governor, chief minister, union ministers and during natural calamities and for requirement of police department", sources said.