'I will travel again': VD Satheesan defends chartered flight journey, ministers' foreign trips
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala chief minister V D Satheesan on Wednesday defended his recent chartered flight to rain-hit Malappuram and the foreign trips of his cabinet colleagues, saying no money from the state exchequer was spent on them.
While addressing a press conference after the weekly cabinet meeting, he declined to disclose the details of the private individual who sponsored his chartered flight and said he would continue to undertake such journeys in the future.
Satheesan said an acquaintance had arranged the aircraft and declined to disclose his details, questioning the need to reveal it when no government money was spent.
" What is wrong in that? I will travel again if required," he told news agency PTI, adding that former chief ministers Pinarayi Vijayan and Oommen Chandy and other chief ministers of the country had also travelled in private aircrafts.
A visibly annoyed CM said the trip was necessary as a major tragedy had occurred in the northern district.
"If I had not gone, questions would have been raised as to why the Chief Minister did not visit the area despite six people dying," he said criticising the media.
While replying to a question, Satheesan said money from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund was not meant to be spent on such journeys.
The chief minister also defended ministers’ foreign trips, saying there was nothing wrong with expatriate organisations buying tickets for ministers to travel abroad for official programmes.
He said the trips were undertaken with his permission.
Taking a dig at the previous LDF government, Satheesan said he had a list of people who had travelled in a similar manner but would not make it public.
On the controversy over ministers’ vehicles, Satheesan defended Local Self-Government Minister K M Shaji’s use of a friend’s ultra-luxury vehicle, saying there was nothing wrong with it.
He said the official vehicle allotted to Shaji was around 10 years old.
The Chief Minister’s Office had earlier said the chartered flight used for the Malappuram visit involved no additional cost to the state.
However, the opposition CPI (M) targetted the ruling UDF regime and CM Satheesan allegating the act as a violation of oath of office.
(With agency inputs)
While addressing a press conference after the weekly cabinet meeting, he declined to disclose the details of the private individual who sponsored his chartered flight and said he would continue to undertake such journeys in the future.
Satheesan said an acquaintance had arranged the aircraft and declined to disclose his details, questioning the need to reveal it when no government money was spent.
" What is wrong in that? I will travel again if required," he told news agency PTI, adding that former chief ministers Pinarayi Vijayan and Oommen Chandy and other chief ministers of the country had also travelled in private aircrafts.
A visibly annoyed CM said the trip was necessary as a major tragedy had occurred in the northern district.
"If I had not gone, questions would have been raised as to why the Chief Minister did not visit the area despite six people dying," he said criticising the media.
While replying to a question, Satheesan said money from the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund was not meant to be spent on such journeys.
The chief minister also defended ministers’ foreign trips, saying there was nothing wrong with expatriate organisations buying tickets for ministers to travel abroad for official programmes.
He said the trips were undertaken with his permission.
Taking a dig at the previous LDF government, Satheesan said he had a list of people who had travelled in a similar manner but would not make it public.
On the controversy over ministers’ vehicles, Satheesan defended Local Self-Government Minister K M Shaji’s use of a friend’s ultra-luxury vehicle, saying there was nothing wrong with it.
He said the official vehicle allotted to Shaji was around 10 years old.
The Chief Minister’s Office had earlier said the chartered flight used for the Malappuram visit involved no additional cost to the state.
However, the opposition CPI (M) targetted the ruling UDF regime and CM Satheesan allegating the act as a violation of oath of office.
(With agency inputs)
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