THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has incurred an expenditure of ₹48.76 crore (48,76,42,718) on rental helicopter services during its tenure. The lease agreement signed by the Kerala Police Department with Delhi-based Chipsan Aviation Private Limited is set to expire on September 18.
According to a reply received under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by M.T. Thomas, a resident of Peruva in Kottayam district, the Home Department stated that while the contract includes a provision to extend the service for another two years, no decision has been made yet regarding its continuation. Furthermore, the official RTI response provided no details regarding the specific purposes or trips for which the helicopter was utilized.
Key Highlights:
Peak Spending Year: The highest single-year expenditure was recorded in 2019–20, accounting for ₹18.20 crore.
Pending Bills: Since the beginning of this year, with the exception of a single bill cleared for ₹2.4 crore, no other rental bills have been processed or released.
Outstanding Dues: An amount of ₹2.40 crore remains to be paid to the aviation company.
Year-Wise Expenditure Breakdown
Financial YearAmount Paid (in ₹)
2019–20 ₹18,20,12,648
2021–22 ₹4,12,50,119
2022–23 Nil
2023–24 ₹3,20,00,000
2024–25 ₹12,83,79,451
2025–26 ₹8,00,00,000
Pending Payment ₹2,40,00,000
Total Cost ₹48,76,42,718
