The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Naidu's aerial hops cost a cool 16.81 cr.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Naidu's aerial hops cost a cool 16.81 cr.

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, JULY 27. The State Government has incurred whopping Rs. 16.81 crores on the flying expenditure of the former Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, for district tours by the two State-owned helicopters in the last five years.

In addition, a third engine was purchased at a cost of Rs. 4.10 crores for one of the two choppers, a Bell 430, by reappropriating funds. The cost was met by diverting Rs. 3 crores out of the Rs. 4 crores sanctioned for the maintenance of A.P. Bhavan in Delhi. Another Rs. 50 lakhs was diverted from the maintenance budget of Raj Bhavan and Rs. 60 lakhs under the same head from various Government guesthouses that year.

Replying to the Congress MLA, G. Chinna Reddy, during question hour in the Assembly on Tuesday, the Revenue Minister, D. Prasada Rao, gave a break-up of the "flying expenditure" of Mr. Naidu by the Chetak and Bell 430 aircraft in five years.

Expense break-up

The expenditure was 1999-2000: Rs. 2.18 crores; 2000-01: Rs. 2.28 crores; 2001-02: Rs. 4.95 crores; 2002-03: Rs. 4.04 crores and 2003-04: Rs. 3.36 crores.

Mr. Chinna Reddy then wanted to know why Rs. 4 crores was allotted in the State budget every year for the maintenance of A.P. Bhavan if just Rs. one crore would serve the purpose as was evident in the year when a new chopper engine was bought.

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