BHUBANESWAR: A day after the General Administration Department sought travel details of Governor Ganeshi Lal from Bhubaneswar to Sirsa and back, the State Government made a volte-face and expressed deep regret over it.
Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi called on the Governor on Friday morning and apprised him that his visit from Bhubaneswar to Sirsa by a chartered flight had been approved by the State Government. Expressing deep regret at the manner in which the letter was issued to the Governor’s office regarding the use of the aircraft, Padhi said stringent action will be taken against all responsible for the miscommunication.
Meanwhile, president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Niranjan Patnaik has disapproved the action of State Government. In a tweet, Niranjan has asked the Chief Minister to explain how he and his colleagues spent Rs 26.55 crore on helicopter rides in the last three years. “It is heartening to see the chief minister seeking accountability & asking Hon. Governor to explain his Rs 46 lakh expenditure on one air trip to Haryana! Wouldn’t it be just great if CM also explains how he & his colleagues spent Rs 26.55 crore on helicopter rides in the last 3 years,” he said.
The GA Department on Thursday had sought details on the visit of the Governor to Sirsa via New Delhi from Bhubaneswar and back between June 10 and June 13 on a jet aircraft and helicopter. In a letter to Special Secretary to the Governor, the Department had sought clarifications on the hiring of a helicopter and jet aircraft for use by Lal and whether approval of the competent authority was taken in the event of any deviation in the approved schedule of the flight.
The bill towards the use of twin-engine jet aircraft Legacy 650 (VK-AOK) from Bhubaneswar to New Delhi on June 10 and back from New Delhi to Bhubaneswar on June 13 amounted to Rs 41.18 lakh while the use of a helicopter from New Delhi to Sirsa on June 10 cost Rs 5 lakh.
While the BJP had come down heavily on the State Government and raising questions over it by describing it as petty politics, the BJD had supported the State Government’s action.