Stating that a huge expenditure spent on chartered flights by the J&K government was unjustified, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told the Legislative Assembly on Thursday the government-owned aircraft remained parked idle for the past five years at the Jammu airport.
The chief minister was replying to the debate on his demands for grants.
He said chartered flights were hired while J&K’s own aircraft remained parked in the open instead of flying it to Srinagar and parked in the hangar.
Omar said a huge amount of money shall now have to be shelled out to make the aircraft airworthy.
The CM said that the expenditure on state guests cannot be stopped. Expenditure on this account was made by the previous governments and would be continued also in the future.
Earlier in the day, the Assembly witnessed ruckus as the treasury and Opposition benches traded charges following an Independent MLA’s call for a probe into the spending of crores on chartered flights and other expenses in the Union Territory (UT).
The ruling National Conference (NC) and Congress members sought the constitution of a house committee to investigate the spending of crores of rupees on such guests in the region by the administration.
Speaking on the grants of Chief Minister, MLA Shabir Ahmed Kullay raised the issue of the use of chartered flights and high spending amounting to Rs 35 crore on guests in J&K.
Pointing towards the spending of Rs 35 crore on various state guests in J&K, including for G20, the MLA said, “Who has spent such a huge amount on chartered flights? Who used chartered flights?
“Is this not bureaucratic corruption? We need to probe how such state exchequer funds were spent,” Kullay said. He was supported by the members of the treasury benches in seeking a probe by constituting a house committee.
NC members, some from the Congress and Independents, stood from their seats seeking a probe by a house committee. However, the BJP members also stood on the other side, pointing out that it was for G20 guests and others meant for the promotion of tourism.
Balwant Mankotia of the BJP said, “The chief minister has full authority as it is his department. Please do not address the galleries. Let us have a probe into the spending of funding since 2009, when it was your government,” he said. This triggered protests from the treasury benches, resulting in verbal duels and noisy scenes for some time.
NC MLA Tanvir Sadiq sought the constitution of a house committee as huge expenditures were made from the state exchequer on certain people. “Who has approved it? Who are these individuals for whom it was used,” he asked.
The BJP members sought a probe on funds spent since 2008. Independent members Shabir Ahmed and Mehraj Malik walked to the well of the House on the issue.