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Bangalore: In 8 Months, CM Blew up Rs 2.53 Crore Heli-hopping

  •   Mon, Feb 02 2009 03:52:23 PM

Naheed Ataulla/TNN

Bangalore, Feb 2: Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa has been heli-hopping virtually every day of the last eight months. This, going by the aviation fuel he has burnt. It is Rs 2,53,39,252, which is approximately 50% of the total amount incurred on chopper flying of his predecessors N Dharam Singh and H D Kumaraswamy put together during their tenures!

The helicopter tab of Yeddyurappa beginning May 30, 2008, when he took over as CM, till December 31, 2008 was accessed by The Times of India under the RTI Act. It said all these trips by the CM were made by private helicopters hired on an hourly basis as the government does not own a chopper. On an average, the CM has been spending Rs 31,67,406.25 per month.

During the tenures of Singh and Kumaraswamy, the helicopter expenditure was Rs 17 lakh on an average per month. Both former CMs had spent Rs 5,39,45,695 totally.

In July 2008, a technical committee of experts was constituted to look into the prospects of Karnataka buying a twin-engine copter or an aircraft for the CM, no decision has been taken as yet. AP CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy flies in a multi-role AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter. Though his counterparts in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and J&K use another model — AugustaWestland AW109 power choppers, AP is the first state to have the AW139 one. 
  

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Comment on this article

  • C.J.Dantis, Mangalore

    Wed, Feb 04 2009

    As one of High command minister says,Lokayukta inspectors catch small rats only,but Big rats are enjoying without fear. when they leave the place then only their account will come out. It happens only in India.

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  • Shridhara Achar K, Puttur/Bangalore

    Mon, Feb 02 2009

    In just 8 months Chief Minister Yeddyurappa's heli-hopping has cost the exchequer Rs.2.53 crore. Of course it is wrong to criticise only Yeddyurappaji for travelling in helicopter. In the 1970s Devaraj Urs govt bought the helicopter for the first time. But Urs rarely used it, It was C.M.Gundu Rao who used helicopter frequently. Afterwards all C.Ms have used it. Perhaps Yeddyurappaji might have used it maximum. To reach far off places or even shorter distances for urgent purposes, nothing wrong in using helicopter. But travelling in helicopter even if there is no urgency is nothing but misusing it. More important is, by flying high, CM is tend to lose contact with people. In democracy that is not desirable.

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