CM Siddaramaiah’s official air travel cost Karnataka govt over 47 crore

Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 11 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s air travel using special flights, aircraft and helicopters between May 2023 and November 2025 cost the state government over 47 crore.

Siddaramaiah, who also holds the finance portfolio, provided the information in a written reply to BJP MLC N. Ravi Kumar in the Legislative Council.

He clarified that special flights, aircraft and helicopters were used only for official visits.

According to the CM, exemptions under Section 4(G) of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act allow the use of special aircraft and helicopters for the official travel of the governor, chief minister and chief justice. Based on this provision, services for VIP travel were procured from a private air charter company.

In the past two-and-a-half years, Siddaramaiah has flown to Mysuru 22 times, incurring travel expenses of over 5 crore for the Bengaluru–Mysuru route, which takes about two-and-a-half hours by road.

His other destinations included New Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai.

As per the reply, 181 bookings were made for special flights and helicopters—180 for the chief minister and one for Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s Bengaluru–Mysuru round trip, which cost 23.18 lakh.

In 2023–24, 48 bookings were made for the chief minister at 12.23 crore, while 84 bookings in 2024–25 cost 20.88 crore. Between April and November this year, 48 bookings were made, amounting to 14.03 crore.

Of the total bookings, 180 were through GMP Air Charters and one through GoJets Aviation. PTI KSU SSK