Odisha CM, Ministers use helicopter for 279 times costing Rs 39.12 crore

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has spent more than Rs 39.12 crore towards airfare of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and other ministers in last five years.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha, in a written reply to BJP member Dilip Ray, told the Assembly on Tuesday that the state government has spent over Rs 39.12 crore towards airfares of the Chief Minister and other ministers for both within the state and outside the state.

The fare for travel is included from 2013 to 2017.

While Rs 7.68 crore was spent for 2013, it was Rs 4.88 crore for 2014. Rs 8.43 crore was spent in 2015, Rs 11.14 crore in 2016 and Rs 6.97 crore in 2017 towards air travel expenses, Arukha said.

Patnaik had used a helicopter on 196 times for travel inside the state and 14 times outside the state. On the other hand, his ministers used the helicopter for 68 times within the state and only once for outside the state in last five years, said Arukh.