Uttaranchal to buy aircraft from Raytheon

Beechcraft will be used for VIP transport

BY A CORRESPONDENT
February 15, 2006

The state of Uttaranchal government is planning to acquire a nine-seater aircraft from US-based Raytheon Aircraft Company for Rs 23 crore. The plane would be used for the government's official purposes, including movement of high-level officials and ministers and other VIPs.

A team of government officials led and state Civil Aviation Secretary PC Sharma are already in US to iron out the deal, which is likely to be finalised in a couple of days.

The new plane would be a Beechcraft model, which is one of the best among the company's small planes. The government is looking at the new aircraft as a replacement for its old aircraft that was inherited from Uttar Pradesh. The state government is also looking at exchanging the plane for a new one and is ready to pay the difference of price to Raytheon.

"This is being worked out as the government is not getting desirable price," an official, close to the development, said. The government is also scouting for pilots to fly the new plane, which is expected to arrive very shortly. Meanwhile, the move has not gone down well with the opposition parties who are crying foul, citing "wastage of money" on the purchase of the new aircraft, while the old one is fully functional.

"This is a very small state and heavy expenditure of buying a plane would put extra burden on the state exchequer," said BJP leader Ajay Bhat, an MLA from Ranikhet.

The state government is already trying to expand Jollygrant airport, a move that has come under criticism from political parties as it would displace scores of families from the area.