The Chhattisgarh Directorate of Aviation has gone for a re-tendering process to hire a twin engine helicopter for use by the State Police and VIPs on a long-term charter basis.
The Government is looking for a twin engine helicopter capable of carrying a minimum of six passengers. The helicopter will be based in Bastar district’s headquarters Jagdalpur but would be required to operate in the entire State, officials stated.
The helicopter would have to provide 25 hours of committed flying in a month. Notably, the Chhattisgarh Government will develop a helipad with night landing facility in insurgency infested Sukma district of Bastar at a cost of Rs19.90 lakh, officials stated.
Notably in November last year, the State government also decided to provide a night landing facility in insurgency infested Bijapur district of Bastar. The officials of Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Chhattisgarh government’s Bastar district officials had also jointly visited the Jagdalpur Airport recently to discuss plans for developing the crucial airport in the insurgency infested Bastar district.
The AAI team had inspected the airport and expressed the possibility of developing the Terminal building, Air Traffic Control Tower and hangar, officials stated.
Officials stated that the infrastructural set up would also pave way for the functioning of two-seater air-taxi service soon.
Moreover, the technical guidance for building the necessary infrastructure was felt by the officers. Notably, the AAI is also mulling over plans to begin three-seater air taxi services from Jagdalpur in the near future.
The inspection visit covered issues like security, land availability and other technicalities. On behalf of AAI, Raipur Airport Director Santosh Dhoke, Civil Aviation Security Bureau’s Security Assistant Commissioner BP Sharma, Air Traffic Management Deputy General Manager (DGM) SK Singh, Air Traffic Control DGM Sudhir Sharma and others visited the airport.