Keralam CM refuses to divulge details of individual who sponsored private flight, defends Ministers’ foreign trips, Shaji’s use of friend’s car

Amid a raging controversy over Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan’s alleged lack of transparency in chartering a private plane to travel to the flood-affected regions in Malappuram on Monday, the Chief Minister has refused to divulge the details of the individual who sponsored the trip.

Responding to questions at a press conference after the Cabinet meeting here on Wednesday, he said there was “nothing wrong with the trip as not a single penny was spent from the exchequer.”

“I will continue to take such flights if the need arises,” he said.

“The agreement with the helicopter company had expired on September 19. After participating in the Sree Narayana Guru Samadhi event at Sivagiri, I had to reach Malappuram immediately, as six people had died in the disaster. If I hadn’t gone, that would have become news. Since there was no other way I could reach quickly, one of my acquaintances arranged a plane for me. What is wrong in this?” asked Mr. Satheesan.

When asked about the identity of the individual who provided the plane, he said that Chief Ministers across the country, as well as former Chief Ministers Pinarayi Vijayan and Oommen Chandy, had travelled by planes owned by private individuals, but never revealed such details. “Why drag the names of these people into this? In this case, it was a Keralite,” said the Chief Minister, without revealing the identity.

Mr. Satheesan also defended Minister for Local Self Governments K.M. Shaji’s use of his friend’s car for official purposes.

“Mr. Shaji was using an official car which was ten years old. Since it was breaking down frequently, he chose to use his friend’s car. Permission for this was given. Former ministers have also similarly travelled in cars owned by private individuals. There is nothing wrong with that,” he said.

The Chief Minister also defended the foreign trips by Ministers in recent weeks, saying that they did not cost the public exchequer. He rubbished allegations of possible quid pro quo in the moneyed elite doling out foreign jaunts to Ministers.

“When such requests for foreign travel are submitted, the government looks at whether it costs the exchequer. We have a large diaspora across the world, especially in the Gulf countries. In the UAE, there are over 1,000 organisations of Keralites, who are inviting the Ministers for various events. Some of the trips are sponsored by organisations or friends. I gave sanction to the Ministers to travel. Let them go and learn things from across the world. In the future also, I will give permission to Ministers to go abroad,” he said.