Accusing the BJP of trying to shield those who during the past three years of Central rule in Jammu and Kashmir made extravagant expenditure on chartered flights and excessive spendings amounting to Rs 35 crore while J&K’s own aircraft stood idle at the Jammu airport, the ruling National Conference (NC) has demanded a thorough investigation into the matter.

In a statement late Saturday night, NC’s spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said, “We are simply seeking accountability but the BJP is attempting to shield those behind misuse of the public exchequer”.

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Dar expressed grave concern over the exorbitant spending of public funds on chartered flights during the last three years emphasising that such reckless expenditure is intolerable and demanded a thorough investigation.

He emphasised the urgent need for a thorough investigation to determine the validity of these actions. “Who approved such extravagant spending? Who were the individuals benefiting from it? This issue involves the misuse of public funds, which clearly falls under the jurisdiction of the Assembly and elected government”.

“The aircraft purchased with taxpayers’ money was left exposed to the elements at Jammu airport for five years – a clear display of negligence. Why was it left out in the Sun and rain in such a manner? It is imperative that those responsible for these actions are held accountable. The misuse of public funds and resources cannot be tolerated. The people of Jammu and Kashmir deserve transparency and accountability”, Dar said.

The issue was also raised in the Legislative Assembly last week by members who criticised the lavish expenditure on chartered flights when J&K was directly under the central rule.

Responding to the concerns of MLAs regarding government spending on chartered planes, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stated that Rs 15 crore were spent over three years. He described the expenditure unjustified as the government owned aircraft stood idle at the airport.
He said the aircraft was not even shifted to Srinagar where a hangar was available for parking it.

Expressing concern over the mismanagement of the state aircraft, the Chief Minister disapproved of its prolonged neglect, saying, “The plane purchased with taxpayers’ money was left abandoned at Jammu Airport for five years, exposed to the vagaries of weather. This was an unnecessary and avoidable waste.” He lamented the uncertainty over the cost of restoring the aircraft to make it airworthy and stressed that better management of public assets is crucial.

The Chief Minister emphasised that government expenditure on state guests is a common practice and has been followed by previous governments as well. While he refrained from detailing the exact spending, he assured the House that steps are being taken to utilise existing assets effectively.