Over Rs 47 Crore Spent For Siddaramaiah's Chartered Flight Travels

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's use of chartered aircraft and helicopters has cost the state government more than Rs 47 crore between May 2023 and November 2025, according to official records placed before the Legislative Council.

The information was disclosed in a written reply to a question raised by BJP Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) N Ravi Kumar, who sought details of the Chief Minister's air travel expenses.

The expenditure statement, compiled by the Public Works Department's Buildings Division, covers official travel within Karnataka and to major cities including New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Shirdi.

Over 12 Crore Spent In 2023-24

As per Annexure-1, the government spent Rs 12.23 crore on chartered flights for the Chief Minister and his entourage during the 2023-24 financial year.

The records list frequent trips between Bengaluru's HAL Airport and districts such as Mysuru, Hubballi, Belagavi and Kalaburagi. 

Expenditure Jumps To Over 21 Crore In 2024-25

For 2024-25, the charter bill surged to 21.11 crore. Detailed entries show extensive multi-sector tour programmes, especially in early 2024, including helicopter travels to Udupi, Chitradurga, Haveri, Bidar and Kalaburagi, in addition to fixed-wing flights to Chennai, Hyderabad and other metropolitan destinations.

Rs 14 Crore Billed In 2025-26 Period

A separate annexure covering October 2025 to November 2025 lists an additional Rs 14.03 crore spent on chartered services. 

Many entries are labelled "Chief Minister and others Aircraft sector", indicating that the hired aircraft were used by the Chief Minister along with accompanying officials for various engagements across Karnataka and select out-of-state locations.

This reply was submitted to the Legislative Council in response to a question by MLC N Ravi Kumar. 

It specifies that the figures relate only to helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft hired for the Chief Minister's official tours. 

The revelation is expected to trigger political debate, with the BJP likely to intensify its criticism over mounting expenses on VIP travel.