By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, September 17, 2017: The ministers and officials in Odisha frequently used a helicopter hired for carrying out anti-Maoist operations, according to a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).

The report said the helicopter was used by various officials and ministers for surveillance and monitoring which was not allowed under Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme guidelines, and ministers and various officials flew in it for about 84 per cent of its total sorties.

“During February 2013 to September 2015, out of 341 sorties conducted by the Dauphin helicopter, only 53 sorties were security related purpose and the remaining sorties were for surveillance and monitoring by various officers and ministers, which were not admissible under the Security Related Expenditure scheme guidelines”, the report said.

Moreover, the frequency of operation had also decreased during the period.

“In contrast, when the MI-172 helicopter was used during 2012-13 and from October 2015 to June 2016, it had conducted 343 sorties mainly for evacuation, rotation of forces, dropping of ration and shifting of injured personnel, etc,” the report said.

According to the SRE guidelines and instructions (June 2009), there can be need-based hiring of private helicopters at competitive rates with prior approval of the Central government. Such helicopters were to be used for dropping ration/ammunition, deploying security personnel in inaccessible pockets, and movement and evacuation of injured security personnel.

The helicopter was not to be used for surveillance and monitoring, said the report.

However, the Odisha government had signed an agreement with Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd for hiring the 28-seater MI-172 helicopter in 2011, without the prior approval of the Centre. The helicopter worked till January 2013, after which it went out of order.
In its place, Pawan Hans had provided one 8-seater Dauphin helicopter.

“The Dauphin helicopter could not serve the purpose for which it was hired because of its limited capacity of only four passengers. There was no penalty clause in the agreement for non-supply of MI-172 helicopter. The Department also did not cancel the agreement, despite PHHL’s failure to provide the desired helicopter,” the CAG pointed out.

Besides, extra expenditure of Rs 11.89 lakh per flying day was made, as the helicopter had Bhubaneswar as its base instead of Koraput, which is closer to areas affected by Left-wing extremism, the report said.

The CAG also found deficient fund management under the schemes due to irregular diversion of funds, non-refund of savings and interest earned by the executing agencies, loss of Central assistance of Rs 504.30 crore and non-adjustment of advances for years.

It also found several instances of delay or non-payment of ex-gratia to the families of deceased security personnel and civilian victims.