Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan’s use of a chartered flight to visit rain-affected Malappuram has triggered a political dispute over who arranged and paid for the aircraft. The Chief Minister’s Office said the state government incurred no additional expense and that the flight was arranged because the police helicopter contract had expired and commercial flights to Karipur were unavailable. Government sources said the aircraft was provided free of cost.
The CPI(M) has questioned the transparency of the arrangement. Senior leader P Rajeev alleged that details about the sponsor had not been disclosed and criticised what he described as a broader pattern of sponsored travel involving ministers. These are political allegations, while the government has maintained that the trip did not cost the state treasury.
The controversy follows Satheesan’s visit to Malappuram to assess damage caused by heavy rain and flash floods. He travelled on a specially arranged aircraft after the police helicopter service became unavailable.
The issue has also drawn criticism from the DYFI, which has questioned the use of privately sponsored transport for official duties and sought greater disclosure about the arrangement.
The dispute comes amid separate criticism over ministers’ foreign travel and the use of high-end official vehicles, turning the flight arrangement into a wider debate over transparency, government expenditure and the role of private sponsorship in official activities.
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