Gandhinagar, March 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) The ambitious and dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sea Plane services from Ahmedabad to Kevadia couldn't take off successfully even for one full year, as admitted by the Gujarat government on Thursday in the ongoing budget session of the state assembly.
The government also said that there are no clear indications of resumption of the services.
In a series of questions asked by the Congress MLAs on the Sea Plane services in Gujarat, Minister of Transport Purnesh Modi admitted in the House that the services have been discontinued by the Air Service Provider since April 10, 2021.
To a question asked by Gandhinagar North legislator, C.J. Chavda, the Minister replied that "the state government had spent over Rs 7.77 crore for the Sea Plane services and it has not been operational since April 10, 2021. The government is considering to resume the services and soon a tender will be floated for the same."
The Seaplane services, a much touted and a pet project of the Prime Minister, who inaugurated it on October 31, 2020 with much fanfare, had to be halted within just two months of its launch, as the aircraft was sent to the Maldives for services and it was stationed on the foreign land for 47 days.
To a question by Virji Thummar as to how many passengers have travelled in the helicopter services started by the Gujarat government in the last two years, the Minister replied that not a single passenger has travelled.
The Gujarat government last year had announced to start helicopter services from Ahmedabad and plans were afoot to make it functional prior to the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS) 2022, which was scheduled from January 10 to 12. The VGGS 2022 had to be postponed due to rising Covid cases.
In response to Geni Thakor, MLA from Vav constituency, the Minister informed that the state government purchased a new aeroplane at the cost of Rs 197.90 crore in November 2019.
Source: IANS
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