The Odisha government has spent a whopping Rs. 17,89,13,713 for chopper rides of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and other ministers in the last two years, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Niranjan Pujari told the Assembly on Monday.
Pujari informed the House about the expenditure while replying to a question by Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati.
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.
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.
(Reported by Harihar Chand, OTV)