A controversy has erupted after an IAS officer and his family disembarked from a charter plane at Patna Airport a few days ago. The trip from Delhi to Patna is said to have cost approximately 2 million rupees. It was made an issue to be raised in the state assembly by the opposition, while the government preferred to maintain silence.
Spotting an IAS officer and his family exiting the luxury charter plane at the Patna airport was an unusual sight for the airport staff, sparking whispers in surprise.
According to a media report, eyewitnesses said it was a charter Dassault Falcon 2000, typically used by high-profile businessmen or VVIPs. But it turned out to be a senior IAS officer posted in Bihar. He had returned from Delhi to Patna with his family. The matter subsequently became a topic of discussion in administrative circles.
The issue resonated in the Assembly on Thursday, with RJD MLA Rahul Sharma questioning the government as to who authorized the charter plane trip and what source funded the trip, as the cost of a round-trip flight from Delhi to Patna on a Dassault Falcon 2000 is estimated to be around 2 million rupees. This huge expense for a family of four has become a topic of discussion.
As reported quoting sources, this was a purely private trip. The source of the expenses has become a major issue, with the opposition calling it a “bureaucratic luxury.”
People are discussing the economic background of the officer and his declared assets, which are limited, as government records indicate his meager land holdings. His family background is also said to be quite modest.
It is surprising that nothing has come into the public domain suggesting under which circumstances the officer chose to spend so much on a trip. People should not forget that in an emergency situation we put our financial constraints aside and spend much more than a person with a modest background is expected to do. What needs to be taken into consideration is finding out which circumstances led the officer to spend so much for the family on a trip rather than indulging in reckless speculation and jumping the gun.
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