Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Spends 47 Crore on VIP Air Travel

Bangalore: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s extensive use of special flights, aircraft, and helicopters over the past two-and-a-half years has cost the state exchequer a staggering 47 crore. The period, spanning May 2023 to November 2025, saw Siddaramaiah, who also holds the finance portfolio, flying extensively for 'official' visits, according to his written reply to BJP MLC N. Ravi Kumar in the Legislative Council.

Despite the state’s pressing developmental needs, Siddaramaiah racked up expenses of over 5 crore alone for 22 trips between Bengaluru and Mysuru, a journey that takes roughly two-and-a-half hours by road. Other destinations included New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Chennai.

The chief minister relied almost entirely on GMP Air Charters for 180 bookings, with one additional booking for Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s Bengaluru–Mysuru round trip through GoJets Aviation, costing 23.18 lakh. Year-wise, 12.23 crore was spent in 2023–24 for 48 bookings, 20.88 crore in 2024–25 for 84 bookings, and 14.03 crore for 48 trips between April and November this year alone.

Siddaramaiah justified the lavish expenditure by citing exemptions under Section 4(G) of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act, which allows the use of special aircraft and helicopters for the governor, chief minister, and chief justice. Yet critics argue that such justification offers little comfort when the state’s resources are being drained for VIP convenience rather than public welfare.

The sheer scale and cost of these flights raise uncomfortable questions about fiscal prudence, the prioritisation of state funds, and the optics of governance at a time when ordinary citizens continue to grapple with basic infrastructural and developmental needs.