Punjab Govt spending public money on 'luxury sorties', says Navjot Singh Sidhu

Chandigarh, September 27

Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu today raised questions on the state’s finances while accusing CM Bhagwant Mann-led government of spending public money on “luxury sorties” for AAP campaigns.

While seeking details of expenditure on the use of a helicopter and an aircraft by the government, he wrote to the Secretary of the Punjab Civil Aviation Department, under the Right to Information Act.

Sidhu accused the AAP government of using the aircraft for campaigning in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and other states in the last one-and-a-half years. The Congress leader while talking to reporters at the Civil Aviation office here said it had come to his notice that the state government on various occasions had used the official state chopper and aircraft for campaigns and tours regarding party affairs.

“So, I have sought information under the RTI Act. The information sought included the number of occasions a private jet was hired by the state government, where was the aircraft taken, for what purpose and what was the total bill on all this,” he said.

Sidhu also sought reply on the pre-poll promises made by Arvind Keriwal on mopping up the resources from different areas and giving promised jobs.