Odisha spent over Rs 17 cr on chopper Trips In 2 Years; CM Tops With 32 Chopper Travels
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his Cabinet colleagues made total 76 trips in helicopters to different parts of Odisha in the last two financial years, said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Niranjan Pujari in the Assembly today.
The minister made this revelation while replying to a question of Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati in the Assembly.
As per the revelation by Pujari, the Chief Minister and other ministers have made a total of 76 helicopter trips from March, 2021 to February, 2023.
The State government has spent Rs 7,93, 06,451 for helicopter trips of the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues inside the State from March 2021 to January 14,2023. During this time, the CM and other ministers have made a total of 22 trips
While the chief minister made maximum 32 trips during the period, minister Tusharkanti Behera made 11 trips and minister Naba Kishore Das went on 4 trips before his death in January this year, Pujari said.
He further said the other ministers who made helicopter trips included Ashok Chandra Panda, Padmini Dian, Padmanabh Behera, Sudam Marndi, Pratap Jena, Samir Ranjan Dash, Ranendra Pratap Swain, Jagannath Saraka and Tukuni Sahu.
Similarly, Patnaik has made a total of 16 trips outside the State through aircrafts from March 28 to December 6, 2022 and Odisha government has spent Rs 4,48,90,000.
The State government has also to incur an expenditure of Rs 31, 38, 78, 275 for the helicopter and aircraft rides of the Chief Minister and other ministers inside and outside the State from March 2021, February 2023.
Moreover, the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues have taken chopper rides from Bhubaneswar to Cuttack and Puri on several occasions.
