Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 9 The Keralam government will not renew the existing agreement for hiring a helicopter, Chief Minister V D Satheesan said on Friday, citing the high cost and the UDF’s earlier opposition to the arrangement.
Satheesan said the government occasionally required helicopter services for emergencies, organ transport, police needs, and urgent travel, but the annual expenditure was disproportionate to their use.
“We need 20–25 hours of plane or helicopter use for various purposes, for government requirements. Sometimes it’s needed to transport organs. The police need it. But for such a large amount, that much time wasn’t even utilised,” he said.
The annual cost of the arrangement exceeded Rs 10 crore, he said, adding that the government had decided against renewing the agreement for now and would consider other options.
“With the money spent over five years, a helicopter could be purchased outright. It could even be rented out. With the money earned from renting it out, its EMI could be paid off,” Satheesan said and clarified that there is no such plan to purchase a chopper.
He said that while in Opposition, UDF leaders had criticised the hiring of helicopters.
After coming to power, it doesn’t want to continue the current agreement with the helicopter operator.
He said the government would examine all aspects before taking a final decision on how to meet its helicopter requirements.
On investments in the hospitality sector, Satheesan said the government was holding discussions with major hotel groups to encourage them to establish more properties in Keralam, particularly as the state faced a shortage of hotel rooms.
“We are extensively holding talks with hotel groups. There is a shortage of rooms in Kerala. There are no rooms available in Thiruvananthapuram. Kochi has the highest number of hotels, but there is a shortage of thousands of rooms. We ourselves have conducted a survey,” he said.
The government had held several rounds of discussions with hotel groups and was willing to provide the necessary facilities and support to attract investments, he said.
“A good amount of work is happening regarding investments. As I said, after six months, you will start seeing the deliverables—when agreements are signed,” Satheesan said, adding that details would be announced once the proposals took concrete shape.
He said the government wanted tourists to stay in Keralam for at least seven days, which required better tourism infrastructure and more accommodation facilities across the state.
On proposals linked to an Airport City, the CM said the government was in discussions with several companies from India and abroad, including Singapore, the Gulf and Europe.
He said that different proposals would require different economic models, depending on their nature, and that the government would ensure transparency in their implementation.
For private companies, the government would consider options such as open tenders and expressions of interest, while assessing the companies’ credibility and experience in the relevant fields, he said.
The Chief Minister said procedures had begun for the proposed International Global Convention Centre in Kochi, announced in the state budget.
Recalling his visit to Singapore, he said the international convention centre at Changi Airport contributed significantly to the country’s economy by hosting international conferences.
“We have asked two people from Cochin International Airport Limited to visit and inspect the facility there. If a global convention centre better than the one at Singapore’s Changi Airport comes up in Kochi, we can develop it in more areas, and conferences can take place,” he said.
The project could generate substantial economic activity and employment, he added.
(PTI News)
