Ranchi, Nov. 3: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will design the government’s Rs 25-crore helicopter as a multipurpose vehicle.

Sources said the Bangalore-based HAL would equip the chopper with multipurpose configurations so that it can be used for VIP movement, transporting cargo for relief operations and despatching troops to fight extremism.

Sources said though the aircraft was being purchased by the department of civil aviation, it would also be used by the home and relief and rehabilitation departments. The proposal to equip the chopper with multipurpose configurations was made by the home department.

Sources said the chopper would have a capacity to fly 17 persons. Barring the cockpit, all parts of the chopper will be detachable, which would be fixed to meet the requirements. For VIP movement, only six seats will be fixed, while up to 17 will be put to move in troops. All seats will be removed for transporting cargo or for carrying a posse of policemen, sources said.

The order for the chopper was placed during chief minister Arjun Munda’s visit to Bangalore.

Munda was accompanied by civil aviation secretary Vimal Kirti Singh and home secretary J.B. Tubid. HAL had given test rides to the visitors while demonstrating the features of its products. HAL has to obtain a clearance from the director-general of civil aviation (DGCA) before supplying the chopper.

HAL, which usually manufactures aircraft for defence purposes, also supplies helicopters to private sector and public limited companies with the approval of DGCA.

The government wants a high-capacity chopper, which can ferry VIPs, along with their lieutenants and security guards, during emergency.

Sources said the government was upset over technical snags that keep cropping up during take-off. At present, the government hires a private company chopper for Rs 25 lakh a month for 35 hours of flying and Rs 25,000 for each additional hour.

Munda had held talks with defence minister George Fernandes to use the chopper in aerial survey to check extremist movement in the state, sources said.

The Munda government went to HAL when tenders floated by it for the chopper evoked poor response.

The tender closed on July 19, but as the bids were unsatisfactory, the chief minister decided to hunt for a suitable chopper himself, sources said.

Sources said the government wanted a chopper with “high-weight capacity”, as procuring a low-capacity helicopter would have resulted in refuelling after a fly of every 250 kilometres.

The government will have to rope in a pilot after it procures the helicopter as it does not have pilots on its roll.