*Some used helicopters even for 17 to 55 km distance
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 23: In what could be termed as unnecessary burden on the State exchequer, Ministers of PDP-BJP Coalition Government are becoming habitual of the frequent use of flying machines for travel to different places. Some of them have even used the State choppers for less than 20 kilometers of distance, which otherwise can be easily covered in the official vehicles without any interruption.
This can be gauged from the official figures about use of State chopper by the Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of State during the financial year 2015-16. During last financial year, the State chopper made around 60 sorties carrying Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of State to different places of the State.
Of these sorties, only 15 were made to ferry the Ministers of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and rest of 45 sorties were made at the request of the Ministers from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Only four Ministers of the PDP and eight Ministers of the BJP used the State chopper and rest of the Ministers of both the parties have yet not ‘enjoyed’ the privilege of travelling in the flying machines. Out of total 60 sorties made during 2015-16 financial year, seven sorties per day were made at least four times mostly by the Ministers of BJP.
One Cabinet Minister of the BJP made use of chopper six times in a day for travel between Jammu-Nawapachi, Nawapachi-Kishtwar, Kishtwar-Padder, Padder-Kishtwar, Kishtwar-Gandoh, Gandoh-Doda and Doda-Jammu. He also used chopper for travel from Jammu to Billawar and Billawar to Nehru Helipad on the very next day.
Similarly, this Cabinet Minister used the chopper for travel from Jammu to Udhampur and back despite the fact that around 60 kilometer distance from Jammu to Udhampur can easily be covered within less than one hour because of widening of the highway. Moreover, cavalcade of a Minister is given free passage during travel from one place to another because of being escorted by pilot vehicle.
Two Cabinet Ministers of BJP used helicopter from Nehru Helipad to Srinagar Airport despite the fact that this short distance can easily be covered in the official vehicles without any interruption. Similarly, two other Cabinet Ministers of BJP along with one Cabinet Minister of PDP used helicopter to cover distance between Nehru Helipad and Srinagar Airport.
Two other BJP Ministers availed the State chopper service for travel from Doda to Chanderkote while as two more Ministers utilized the chopper for travel between Chanderkote and Thathri. Similarly, one PDP Minister made use of flying machine for travel between Rajouri and Poonch. While two Ministers of State of the BJP availed the chopper service, none of the MoS from the PDP made use of flying machines.
While furnishing this information to the MLA from Udhampur, Pawan Gupta in the Legislative Assembly, the Government didn’t disclose the expenditure incurred on use of flying machines in the shape of aviation fuel and the purpose involving the benefit of the State.
“No doubt, use of State chopper becomes unavoidable on many occasions but frequent use of the same could have been avoided in order to lessen burden on the State exchequer”, official sources said, adding “there is no justification behind making use of helicopter for a distance ranging between 17 kilometer to 55 kilometers that too when the road conditions are most favourable”.
“On one side the Government is claiming lack of own resources to meet the requirement of funds for the developmental purposes and on the other the State chopper is being used so unjustifiably”, sources regretted, adding “the Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti should ensure that State chopper is used only in emergencies and in unavoidable circumstances and austerity measures are strictly followed by the Ministers of both the parties”.
Moreover, travel by road also gives an opportunity to the Ministers to take stock of the developmental activities in the particular area.
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