A political row has erupted in Andhra Pradesh over splurging of public money on travelling by leaders in power. The former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy spent ₹222.85 crore for air travel during his tenure between 2019 and 2024, the state IT and HRD minister Nara Lokesh said.
Quoting the documents provided by Andhra Pradesh Aviation Corporation Limited (APACL), he claimed that ₹87.02 crores was spent on helicopters, ₹112.50 crore on fixed-wing aircraft, and ₹23.31 crore on boarding, crew handling and lodging between 2019 and 2024.
“The entire amount totalling ₹222.85 crore was fully drawn from the state Treasury,” said Lokesh, who is the son of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
However, Jagan’s YSR Congress Party rejected the claims as lies. The opposition party challenged Lokesh to make public the “full record” of his father’s air travel bills.
Earlier, a news report Jagan’s family, claimed that Lokesh flew 77 times to Hyderabad using public money since becoming a minister last year. The article claimed that Lokesh was vacationing in Hyderabad when floods battered Andhra Pradesh.
RTI Revelations
“An RTI inquiry has revealed how Jagan spent hundreds of crores of public money on luxury travel. The truth is finally out. Apart from splurging on building a palace at Visakhapatnam for ₹500 crore, ₹222 crore was spent on flying around. Andhra Pradesh deserved a vision, but got a vacation from 2019 to 202,” Lokesh, who is also the general secretary of the Telugu Desam Party, posted on X.
Lokesh, his Telugu Desam Party supporters, and RTI activist Suresh Babu sought data from the APACL regarding Jagan’s travels after a news media published damning articles, accusing him of splurging public money on travelling to Hyderabad.
They filed RTIs with four departments, seeking details of expenses incurred by him. “All four RTI disclosures showed that the state government did not pay for Lokesh’s travels, and that he did not claim even a single rupee. Every flight, including special flights, were paid from his personal income,” Lokesh’s office said.
“Verified timelines show him engaged in a packed series of public duties across Vijayawada, Puttaparthi, Mangalagiri, and Amaravati, and personally supervising flood-relief operations through the night in Vijayawada,” it added.
TDP leader Anam Venkataramana Reddy said, “Every ticket, including special flights taken for urgent government duties, was paid entirely from minister Lokesh’s personal funds. These are not TDP statements; they are official, written, departmental records now in the public domain.”
The Higher Education Department, Skill Development and Training Department, Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, and Department of Real Time Governance sent replies to the RTI applications.
“The RTI responses show that Lokesh has borne the full cost of all his travel for official delegations, investment missions, interstate meetings, and party responsibilities. At a time when many leaders freely drain the state Treasury for personal comfort, Lokesh’s conduct stands out as responsible, transparent and exemplary,” the TDP said in a statement.
“As National General Secretary of the Telugu Desam Party, Lokesh handles responsibilities across multiple states, including Telangana. He travels to Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and other national capitals as part of his mandate and funds every such trip from his personal earnings. The RTI replies leave no room for distortion: none of Minister Lokesh’s 77 flights cost the state exchequer even a single rupee,” the statement said.
YSRCP’s counter
In a statement, the YSRCP said, “In the last 18 months, you, your father, and your Janasena brother Pawan Kalyan (Deputy Chief Minister) have been flying in luxury chartered flights, private jets, and high-end helicopters. You are doing shuttle service from Hyderabad to Vijayawada every weekend. It is clearly visible to everyone in Andhra Pradesh. Just tell the public who is paying for these trips. If they are from your own pockets, show your bank statements. If they are through your benami companies, explain why they are spending on you.”
Also read: Naidu, Lokesh participate in parent-teacher meeting
Follow us
