New Delhi, March 21
The purchase of five Embraer executive jets for VVIP travel by the NDA government has come in for criticism from the the Comptroller and Auditor General for paying a higher price for purchase and overspending an “exorbitant amount” of Rs 126.90 crore for laying fancy interiors and in-flight entertainment on board.
“The current price of the aircraft (excluding spares) available on the Internet was $22.45 million (about Rs 109 crore) per aircraft which was below the contracted price of $27.26 million (about Rs 133 crore),” the CAG said in its report, tabled in Parliament today.
The CAG has also termed as unjustified spending of Rs 126.90 crore for five aircraft, four for the IAF VVIP communication squadron and one for the BSF towards modification of interiors and in-flight entertainment.
Of the total contracted price of Rs 142.88 crore (29.16 million US dollars) per aircraft, the CAG report said the basic price of the plane was Rs 98.39 crore ($20.08 million) and the rest of the price, Rs 25.38 crore, on interiors and in-flight entertainment, Rs 6.13 crore for integrating self-protection suits and for spares.
“The accepted price for interiors and in-flight entertainment was more than five times that quoted in the second-lowest offer of $9,36,500 for similar facilities”, the CAG said.
