A helipad just for Rahul Gandhi

BHARUCH: When AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi finally arrives in the state to begin his campaign for the assembly polls, a discreet helipad in Ankleshwar's Piraman village will be waiting to welcome him for his whirlwind tour across the state.

The helipad is currently under construction and is situated just behind the Piraman residence of Ahmed Patel, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's political advisor. The helipad, a standard 16-feet RCC plot, was recently in the midst of a political storm.

"The helipad is sufficient for landing Bell-206 or Chetak class helicopters, which might be used by Rahul for his political campaigns," said a Congress leader close to Ahmed Patel. The helipad was reportedly constructed by the Piraman gram panchayat on Patel's insistence.

"We had suggested to the taluka panchayat that the helipad be useful for rescue operations and also for mitigating industrial disasters in the area. However, now the panchayat might collect a rent for the helipad. I suppose the party is going to foot the bills for the same," said sources close to Patel.

A village panchayat leader said that the helipad was constructed on panchayat land after it refused to sell the land to Patel. "We paid the labour charges but the Congress had borne all the other costs," he said.

d_soumik@dnaindia.net