Thiruvananthapuram, Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Wednesday justified his recent chartered flight trip to rain-hit Malappuram and the foreign visits of his cabinet colleagues, saying no money from the state exchequer was spent for the same.
he rejected media persons’ repeated questions seeking the details of the private individual who sponsored his charted flight trip and made it clear that he would continue to undertake such journeys in future also While addressing a press conference after the weekly cabinet meeting.
On the controversy over ministers’ vehicles, Satheesan defended Local Self-Government Minister K M Shaji’s use of a friend’s ultra luxury vehicle, saying there was nothing wrong in it.
Satheesan said an acquaintance had arranged the aircraft and declined to disclose his details, questioning the need to reveal it when no government money was spent. “If I had not gone, questions would have been raised as to why the Chief Minister did not visit the area despite six people dying,” he said criticising the media. Satheesan said money from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund was not meant to be spent on such journeys While replying to a question. Taking a dig at the previous LDF government, Satheesan said he had a list of people who had travelled in a similar manner but was not making it public. The Chief Minister’s Office had also earlier said the chartered flight used for the Malappuram visit involved no additional expenditure for the state.
