Yeddy's heli-hopping cost Rs 2.5 cr

Bangalore: Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa has been heli-hopping virtually every day of the last eight months. The cost, going by the aviation fuel he has burnt, is Rs 2,53,39,252, approximately 50% of the total amount incurred on chopper flying by his predecessors N Dharam Singh and H D Kumaraswamy put together during their tenures!
Yeddyurappa’s helicopter tab beginning May 30, 2008, when he took over as CM, till December 31, 2008 was accessed by TOI under the RTI Act. It said all these trips by the CM were made by private helicopters hired on an hourly basis as the government does not own a chopper.
On an average, the CM has been spending Rs 31,67,406.25 per month. During the tenures of Singh and Kumaraswamy, the helicopter expenditure was Rs 17 lakh on an average per month. Both the ex-CMs had spent Rs 5,39,45,695 totally.
As early as in July 2008, a technical committee of experts was constituted to look into the prospects of Karnataka buying a twinengine copter or an aircraft for the CM. However, no decision has been taken as yet.
The Rs 58-crore medium twin-turbine engine 15-seater copter can be used for a variety of operations including VIP transport. It can be used as a flying office for the CM as the chopper has inbuilt facility for powerpoint presentation and a conference-type seating arrangement.
02/02/09 Naheed Ataulla/Economic Times

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Feb 2009