New Right to Information (RTI) documents have brought to light the extensive use of chartered aircraft by India's railway ministers and ministers of state over nearly two decades. Since 2007, the Ministry of Railways has incurred a bill of almost ₹8.90 crore for 33 such flights, spanning 48 days of official travel involving 11 different ministers.
Varying Usage and Costs Among Ministers
The RTI records reveal significant differences in both the frequency and expenditure associated with these chartered journeys. Former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav recorded the highest number of trips, utilizing chartered aircraft on 12 occasions, accounting for over a third of all recorded flights since 2007. However, he was not the top spender.
Suresh Prabhu, who served as Railway Minister, emerged as the biggest spender. His four trips, covering 13 days, cost the exchequer a substantial ₹3.01 crore. This figure translates to an average expenditure of approximately ₹75 lakh per occasion, making his average spending the highest among the ministers documented. Prabhu's total bill exceeded Lalu Prasad Yadav's by over ₹1.03 crore, despite making fewer trips.
In contrast, current Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has used a chartered aircraft only once since assuming office in 2021. His sole recorded flight was to Bhubaneswar in 2023 following the tragic Balasore train crash, costing ₹25 lakh.
Reasons for Chartered Flights
The purposes for these chartered flights followed a consistent pattern, primarily involving responses to emergencies and official duties. Common reasons included visits to train accident sites, inspections during floods, inauguration ceremonies, foundation-laying events, and other official programmes.
- In 2011, K. H. Muniyappa flew to Kanpur after the Howrah-Kalka Mail accident.
- R. Velu traveled to Jajpur-Keonjhar Road in 2009 following the Coromandel Express derailment.
- Manoj Sinha flew to Kanpur in 2016 after another significant train accident.
- Lalu Prasad Yadav's three flood-related flights in 2008, including aerial surveys of Bihar's Kosi flood-affected areas and an inspection of the Kosi breach site in Nepal, cost nearly ₹30 lakh. Other trips for Yadav involved flag-off ceremonies, station inaugurations, and a visit to meet victims of extremist violence in Assam.
Evolution of Documentation and Aircraft Sourcing
The RTI documents also highlight a noticeable shift in the level of detail provided for these flights over time. Earlier records, particularly those concerning Lalu Prasad Yadav's tenure, offered specific information, including exact locations, river names, or train numbers, and detailed reasons for travel.
However, as the records progress into the 2010s and 2020s, the descriptions become increasingly broad. During the tenures of Suresh Prabhu and Piyush Goyal, many entries simply state the purpose as "official" or "various official programmes." For instance, Prabhu's costliest trip, a multi-city journey from Delhi to Imphal, Agartala, Dimapur, and back to Delhi, costing over ₹62 lakh, lacked specific details beyond its official nature.
Furthermore, the sourcing of chartered aircraft also changed. In the 2000s and early 2010s, most chartered flights utilized Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft, with one BSF flight also noted. This pattern shifted significantly from 2018 onwards during Piyush Goyal's term, with nearly all subsequent flights being chartered through IRCTC, the Indian Railways' ticketing and catering arm. Goyal's tenure alone accounts for eight IRCTC-booked trips between 2018 and 2020, including a Delhi-Chennai-Mumbai-Delhi journey costing almost ₹39 lakh.
These RTI disclosures offer a comprehensive look into how public funds have been utilized for ministerial air travel, revealing both the necessity of such travel for emergency response and the evolving transparency in public record-keeping.