Official documents have revealed details of Ministers of the State enjoying frequent air flights in and outside the country on the pretext of official business without specifying the nature of business. The cost of these rides for the financial year 2012-13 ranges between 55 thousand and 8.5 lakh rupees. The public exchequer must pay the cost of these flights. What are the norms for the ministers to fly at the cost of public exchequer are not known nor adhered to. Among those who nibble at the exchequer are sitting as well as former ministers. About one crore rupees has been borne by the exchequer for the current financial year on this expenditure head. This expenditure has been incurred in conditions of financial crunch through which the state is going at the moment. It appears that the ministers are moving at their free will. The Government has issued advisory that expenditures should be reduced as much as is possible because of financial straits. It has to be remembered that the instalments of DA to the pensioners are withheld owing to paucity of funds and many important projects have been temporarily stalled because adequate funds are not available. A look at the details of the nature and pattern of the flights taken by the ministers will show that most of the visits cannot be justified. It appears that some of these visits have been taken for personal and private business and had little to do with official business. Yet the poor tax payer is made to fend for the high-spirited ministers. We do not object to genuine flights to run official business but who is to decide what is genuine and what is not. There needs to be some viable mechanism to control the happy-go-lucky ministers from laying their wanton hands on public exchequer since their conscience is dead. If there are any rules to monitor air travels of ministers these should be implemented and made functional. And if there is need for modifying the rules in view of the quantum of work the ministers have to do, well the rules should be modified. We would like to suggest the members of the council of ministers to usually travel by road so that the condition of the road is maintained and the ministers know what it is. This will be indirect support to the passengers commuting between the twin capitals and other towns of the two regions. Air flight should be allowed in very rare cases or in exigencies only. This may look harsh in the beginning but ultimately it will be beneficial for all.
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