Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's Rs 47 Crore Chartered Flight Expenses Revealed in Legislative Council

Bengaluru:

Official records presented to the Karnataka Legislative Council reveal that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's chartered aircraft and helicopter usage has incurred costs exceeding Rs 47 crore between May 2023 and November 2025.

This information emerged through a written response to BJP Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) N Ravi Kumar's inquiry about the Chief Minister's air travel expenditures.

The Public Works Department's Buildings Division compiled the expenditure statement, which encompasses official travel within Karnataka and to major metropolitan areas including New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Shirdi.

During the 2023-24 financial year, according to Annexure-1, the government allocated Rs 12.23 crore for chartered flights serving the Chief Minister and his delegation. These records document numerous journeys between Bengaluru's HAL Airport and various districts such as Mysuru, Hubballi, Belagavi, and Kalaburagi.

The charter expenses significantly increased to Rs 21.11 crore for 2024-25. Detailed entries indicate extensive multi-sector travel programs, particularly in early 2024, comprising helicopter journeys to Udupi, Chitradurga, Haveri, Bidar, and Kalaburagi, alongside fixed-wing flights to Chennai, Hyderabad, and other metropolitan destinations.

A separate annexure covering October 2025 to November 2025 documents an additional Rs 14.03 crore expended on chartered services. Numerous entries designated as "Chief Minister and others Aircraft sector" indicate that hired aircraft were utilized by the Chief Minister and accompanying officials for various engagements throughout Karnataka and select out-of-state locations.

This comprehensive reply was submitted to the Legislative Council in response to MLC N Ravi Kumar's inquiry. It clearly specifies that the figures pertain exclusively to helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft hired for the Chief Minister's official tours.

The disclosure is anticipated to spark political controversy, with the BJP likely to escalate its criticism regarding increasing expenditures on VIP travel.