Shibu Soren with wife Rupi at their farm in Bokaro. Picture by Pankaj Singh

Bokaro, Dec. 3: A frequent flier to his hometown of Bokaro, chief minister Shibu Soren is now getting a helipad constructed at his Chira Chas farmhouse, around 3km from his residence here.

Spread over 4.5 acres, the farmhouse has been a favourite retreat of Soren who loves to play host to special invitees who are often invited there. Apart from a residential complex, the farmhouse has a piggery and a cattle shed.

The idea of a helipad there was finalised on November 27 after the chief minister asked his chopper to land at Chira Chas while returning to Ranchi after holding a meeting in Dhanbad.

According to IB sources, it was around 3.55pm when Soren asked his chopper to land there. Visibility was low but adequate for landing. The chopper did land safely after a minor glitch and Soren spent around 20 minutes at the farmhouse before leaving for Ranchi.

Keeping in mind his frequent visits there, chief minister is understood to have asked the district authorities to build a permanent helipad there so that he would not have to land at Bokaro aerodrome, 5km away, every time he decided to visit Chira Chas.

Bokaro deputy commissioner Pravin Toppo has confirmed this. “The approval for construction of the helipad has already been given and next time, the chief minister will not have to step down at Bokaro aerodrome,” he told The Telegraph.