VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Sept 2: The decision of the Hemant Soren government to hire an eight-sitter chartered aircraft for a month from August 31 onward for government-related out-of-state travels of VVIPs and VIPs has received sharp criticism from the political class. The decision was taken by the cabinet on Thursday where aircraft will be hired on the nomination basis on the payment of Rs 2.06 Crore.
The hiring came amid political uncertainty lurking on the fate of Hemant Soren owing to his disqualification issue. Fearing a poaching by the BJP, Hemant Soren picked MLAs of the UPA alliance and dropped at a safer location at Raipur, the capital of the Congress Chhatisgarh.
“There is a state of chaos in Jharkhand. All are running away. MLAs of the ruling parties are hiding in Raipur. The Governor is silent. We know who else have ruled Jharkhand. What a pity they could not develop a place and infrastructure where they could keep MLAs. They have to go Raipur. It exposes how far they developed Jharkhand,” said Binod Kumar Singh who is the lone MLA of the CPI-ML in Jharkhand assembly.
Singh added that as a matter of principle, he opposed misuse of public money to foot the bill for the luxury of officials and public representative.
“I repeat my stand that hiring an aircraft was not necessary. But whosever ruled Jharkhand they have done such thing to an extent that aircraft was hired for the travel of a single person. If the state doesn’t have its own small aircraft then it is a matter of shame,” he said.
Former minister and Jamshedpur (East) MLA Saryu Roy said that Jharkhand never has a history of MLAs packed, transported and caged at a remote location. “Hemant Soren government is living in a self created climate where it believes that the government is in danger and MLAs are out for auctions. What is the purpose behind hiring a special aircraft for a period of one month for the purpose of out of the state-travel in government related works? You can see the timing,” said Saryu Roy.
Former BJP Chief Minister and party senior Babulal Marandi said that it was a blatant case of the misuse of the public money.
“What is the purpose behind paying a huge amount when flight service from Ranchi to Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and other important places are frequently and easily available? The government should explain that what urgent and important things are going to happen in the next one month for public welfare for which the government requires an aircraft? Please let me know what transformation and development of Jharkhand Hemant Soren is going to bring for which he needs an aircraft? Probably there is no direct flight to Raipur,” said Babulal Marandi.
BJP’s Godda MP Nishikant Dubey twitted and termed it a blatant display of corruption where chartered aircraft is being hired for merrymaking of MLAs.
