Copter fever in Himachal
Resource crunch no deterrent
From S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Dec 12 — The tight financial position in Himachal has not deterred the BJP-HVC combine government from hiring helicopters, purchasing limousines and foreign jaunts of ministers and high officials.

All this is contrary to the stand of the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal and the HVC leader, Mr Sukh Ram, before coming to power. At that time they were critical of the previous Congress government of Mr Virbhadra Singh for enjoying the "luxury" of a hired helicopter.

The BJP-HVC combine government has gone a step ahead and spent over Rs 5.84 crore on hiring helicopters from various agencies in the past nine months. Out of this, helicopter bills amounting to Rs 1,41,80,211 were pending.

About Rs 1.45 crore has been paid for the flights undertaken before March when the Congress was in power. In addition to this, bills worth about Rs 1.19 crore for flights undertaken during the Congress regime are still pending.

While a helicopter of Mesco Airlines was hired by the previous government, the BJP-HVC government has reportedly been hiring helicopters from Pawan Hans, Sahara Airlines and Span Air.

Interestingly, both Mr Dhumal and Mr Sukh Ram had been describing the leased helicopter of the previous regime as a wasteful expenditure.

The fund starved government has purchased cars worth Rs 45.79 lakh for its ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries in the past about seven months in the current financial year.

A chairman enjoying the status of a minister has reportedly been allotted a Contessa car, while the Cabinet ministers have to contend with Ambassadors.

A high-level committee, which was set up by the Dhumal government soon after coming to power to suggest measures to rationalise the use of official cars, has not yet submitted its report. Many ministers were enjoying the luxury of having more than two official vehicles.

Some senior bureaucrats have not surrendered the additional vehicles of the departments under their control. Many others, who are looking after more than one department have also reportedly got one vehicle of each department attached with them. These vehicles are allegedly put to private use by such officers.

The Agriculture Minister, Mr Vidya Sagar, recently toured Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines and New Zealand spending Rs 5.63 lakh.

A sum of over Rs 1.95 lakh was spent on the jaunt of the Chief Secretary, Mr O.P. Yadav, and two other officers to Singapore in September to participate in the consumer fair.