New Delhi: BJP MP Sushil Modi on Thursday criticised the Bihar government's decision to purchase a new plane and a helicopter for the movement of VIPs and VVIPs, blaming Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav for it.


"Jet plane worth around Rs 250 crores won't be used in Bihar as the state has few runways, instead, it will be used for his (Nitish Kumar) dream of becoming PM 2024, which anyway won't be fulfilled. Are helicopter and plane being gifted to Tejashwi Yadav?," Sushil Modi said, as quoted by news agency ANI.


Earlier on Wednesday, he said the state government's approval to buy a helicopter and jet plane is not appropriate. "Now, the state governments don't buy them instead they are taken on lease. As Tejashwi Yadav feels he will become CM next that's why jet plane and helicopter were brought under his pressure," the former Bihar deputy CM said, as quoted by ANI.


"The government should re-think its decision. It seems that jet plane and helicopter will be used to move across the country for a campaign against PM Modi for the 2024 general elections," he claimed.






The Bihar Cabinet on Tuesday approved the proposal to purchase a new plane and a helicopter for the movement of VIPs and VVIPs, news agency PTI reported an official as saying.


The proposal was prepared by the Directorate of Civil Aviation (Cabinet Secretariat Department, Bihar government).


The cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar approved the proposal to constitute a high-level committee, headed by the chief secretary, for purchasing a new jet plane and a helicopter for the movement of VIPs and VVIPs.


Talking to reporters after the cabinet meeting, S Siddharth, Additional Chief Secretary (Cabinet Secretariat), said, "The cabinet approved the proposal to constitute a high-level committee, headed by the chief secretary, to decide the modalities to purchase a new jet engine plane (10+2 seater) and a helicopter for the movement of VIPs and VVIPs. The committee will decide the price and other modalities for the purchase".


The committee will submit its report in three months.


The state at present has a 'King Air C-90 A/B' plane and VT-EBG helicopter, he said, as per PTI.


"Apart from this, two helicopters Dauphin SA365N, VT-ENU are under maintenance and they will soon be fit to fly. Later, they will be used for training and tourist purposes", Siddharth mentioned. The process to purchase the new jet engine plane and a helicopter will start after the final report of the committee, he informed.


(With Agency Inputs)