A total outlay of ₹2,22,85,25,893 over five financial years covered helicopter hire, fixed-wing aircraft charges and a range of ancillary services such as ground handling, crew accommodation and boarding and lodging.
Published Dec 03, 2025 | 8:00 AM ⚊ Updated Dec 03, 2025 | 8:00 AM
YS Jagan in a helicopter. (Supplied)
Synopsis: The Andhra Pradesh government spent more than ₹222 crore on helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft services for former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy between 2019 and 2024, according to new expenditure data released by the APACL.
The previous Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) government in Andhra Pradesh spent more than ₹222 crore on helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft services used by then Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy between 2019 and 2024, according to an expenditure statement released by the Andhra Pradesh Aviation Corporation Ltd (APACL).
The report shows a total outlay of ₹2,22,85,25,893 over five financial years. This covers helicopter hire, fixed-wing aircraft charges and a range of ancillary services such as ground handling, crew accommodation and boarding and lodging.
The break-up includes:
Notably, the expenses continued even during the Covid 19 lockdown years. The note records that both 2020 to 21 and the first half of 2021 to 22 were impacted by lockdowns, yet helicopter and aircraft hire charges were still billed in full.
Furthermore, annual spending rose steadily throughout the government’s tenure:
IT Minister Nara Lokesh hit out at the YSRCP administration, stating that the figures showed that they were “vacation on public money.”
“While people struggled for jobs and amenities, their CM @ysjagan was splurging ₹500 crore on a palace and ₹222 crore on flying around. We are finally hearing the truth. A P deserved a vision. They got a vacation instead,” he wrote in a post on X.
The APACL also notes that all helicopter payments were made to GMR Aviation Pvt Ltd, whose chopper was deployed for the former chief minister’s official travel from 2019 until June 2024.
The fixed-wing aircraft were hired from “various agencies”. The “other charges” category includes:
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
