The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Tuesday released a set of documents alleging that YSR Congress Party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy spent massive amounts of public money on his air travel during his five-year tenure.
The documents, obtained through an RTI filed with the Andhra Pradesh Aviation Corporation Ltd (APACL), were shared with the media and were widely reported, with even national channels like NDTV highlighting the figures.
According to the RTI data, between 2019 and 2024, Jagan Mohan Reddy reportedly spent ₹222.85 crore of government funds on helicopter and aircraft travel.
The breakdown includes:
₹87.02 crore on helicopter travel
₹112.50 crore on fixed-wing aircraft
₹23.31 crore on boarding, crew handling, and lodging
All of this expenditure, the TDP stated, came directly from the state treasury.
The release of these documents appears to be a direct counter to reports aired by Jagan’s media house, Sakshi, which recently alleged that state IT minister and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh had taken 77 flights to Hyderabad at government expense.
However, TDP leaders stated that RTI responses from four departments led by Lokesh confirmed that he had not claimed a single rupee for official travel. According to the RTI replies, every flight ticket—including special flights—was paid for from Lokesh’s personal income.
The TDP said these documents expose Sakshi and YSRCP’s “false propaganda” and demonstrate a stark contrast in accountability.
Lokesh also reacted on X, posting:
“While people struggled for jobs and amenities, their CM Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was splurging ₹500 crore on a palace and ₹222 crore on flying around. We’re finally hearing the truth. Andhra Pradesh deserved a vision — they got a vacation instead.”
The party further reiterated that while Jagan’s air travel drained over ₹222 crore from public funds, RTI-verified evidence shows that Lokesh’s air travel cost the state nothing.
However, several political observers have questioned the comparison. Analysts point out that Jagan, as the chief minister, was officially entitled to travel by special flights and helicopters. They also argue that if transparency is the goal, TDP should similarly disclose the expenditure incurred on chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s travel during his previous tenure (2014–2019) and in the current term since June 2024.
Analysts say Naidu is also frequently traveling by helicopter and special flights and suggest that the Aviation Corporation should release those details as well for a fair comparison.
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