Chief Secy Meets Guv, Expresses Regret Over Letter Seeking Tour Details

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has expressed profound regret over the letter sent to the Raj Bhawan seeking tour details of the Governor.

In this connection, chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi met Governor Ganeshi Lal at the Raj Bhawan here on Friday afternoon and informed him that his visit from Bhubaneswar to Sirsa by chartered flight had been approved by the state government.

Expressing deep regrets at the manner in which the letter was issued to the Governor’s office regarding the use of aircraft, he said stringent action would be taken against all responsible for this miscommunication.

In a letter to the Special Secretary of the Governor, the General Administration department had sought details about the purpose of the visit between June 10 and 14.

The letter stated that the Governor during his recent tour had used a government plane and a helicopter. He had used a special jet of the state government while travelling to New Delhi and a government helicopter for his trip to Sirsa in Haryana from there.

The Raj Bhawan has submitted a tour bill of Rs 46.18 lakh, of which Rs 41.18 lakh was billed as the rent for the special jet and Rs 5 lakh for using the helicopter.

The letter, written by Indira Behera, Deputy Secretary, had also asked the Special Secretary to submit the user certificate regarding the tour expenses of the Governor.