Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has come under sharp criticism after revelations in the Legislative Council showed that the state exchequer spent Rs 47.38 crore on his helicopter and flight travel between 2023 and November 2025. The information, disclosed during the ongoing Belagavi winter session in response to an unstarred question by BJP MLC Ravikumar, has triggered a major political uproar.

According to the government’s official reply, Siddaramaiah frequently used helicopters and flights to travel across various districts and to cities like Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai.

The cumulative expenditure on his air travel has now reached over Rs 47 crore, raising questions over financial priorities at a time when the state is facing fund shortages in several departments.

The controversy adds to the series of criticisms Siddaramaiah has faced over alleged extravagant spending. Earlier, the Chief Minister was in the spotlight for the high-budget renovation of his official residence, Cauvery. Now, the scale of air travel expenditure has given fresh ammunition to the opposition.

Official data reveals that Rs 12.65 crore was spent on helicopter travel in 2023–24, while another Rs 19.35 crore was spent until January 15 of the 2024–25 fiscal year.

What has intensified criticism is that even short-distance trips — including to locations near Mysuru, just 1.5 hours by road — were undertaken via helicopter.

Siddaramaiah reportedly preferred flights for visits to districts with airports such as Hubballi, Kalaburagi, Mysuru and Belagavi. For districts without airports, special helicopters were used, adding to the overall cost burden on the state treasury.

Facing mounting criticism, the government is now considering an alternative plan. The Public Works Department has been instructed to initiate a tender process for annual leasing of special aircraft and helicopters, arguing that day-based rentals are too expensive and unreliable during emergencies.