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Defence Ministry awaits payment for Antony's airlift

Josy Joseph in New Delhi

It was a swift move planned at the highest level to avoid a possible split in the ruling Congress party of Kerala.

A Boeing 737 aircraft belonging to the VIP squadron of the Indian Air Force took off on March 21, 1995 from Palam airport in New Delhi for Trivandrum. It was carrying AK Antony, the senior Congress leader known for his clean image. He landed at the Kerala capital and drove down to replace the then chief minister K Karunakaran, who was facing a severe revolt from within his own party. Karunakaran in turn was accommodated in the P V Narasimha Rao cabinet as industry minister.

The political operation planned by Rao was a perfect move, but for the bill for the flight, running into about Rs 15 lakhs, which is yet to be paid up.

Four years after the swift political move by the Congress high command, the bill from the defence ministry is shuttling between the Kerala government and the Prime Minister's Office, with both refusing to own it up. While the Kerala government has asked the IAF to ask Antony, who is currently a member of the Congress Working Committee, to make the payment from his pocket, the PMO has been assuring the IAF that it will order the state government to make the payment.

Orders for Antony's airlift were given over telephone by the PMO. The bill has now come under the scrutiny of the Comptroller and Auditor General, which has castigated the authorities for their failure to reimburse the IAF.

According to the latest CAG report, 'Airlift charges for special flight between New Delhi and Trivandrum permitted for Shri AK Antony, chief minister designate of Kerala in March 1995 by the Prime Minister remains unrealised for more than three and a half years."

"The Note of Prime Minister's Office dated 21 March 1995 conveying Prime Minister's approval for provision of Boeing 737 aircraft to carry Shri A K Antony from New Delhi to Trivandrum was received in the ministry on 23 March, 1995, two days after the special flight was provided. The ministry issued orders to Deputy Director (Operations) after another six days on 29 March 1995."

"Scrutiny of documents further disclosed that while the approval of Prime Minister was for special flight to Shri Antony only, six members of Parliament, one along with his spouse also made use of this special flight. The aircraft returned to the base on the same day after flight duration of six and a half hours."

The bill of Rs 14.69 lakh for this journey was raised by Air Headquarters on the Government of Kerala in June 1995. The state government initially accepted the claim and issued a formal sanction in February 1996 for the payment of airlift charges, the report points out.

But then the state assembly elections happened in Kerala. The CPM-led Left Democratic Front government came to power, and Antony was the new leader of opposition. "In a volte-face, however, the state government subsequently informed Air HQ in March 1997 that the payment would not be made from the state exchequer and the amount should be realised directly from Shri Antony, leader of the Opposition in Kerala Legislative Assembly," the report says.

The bill continued to do the rounds of PMO and Air headquarters. In October 1997, the bill was sent back to the state government, which turned it down. The state said, "Since Shri Antony was only a chief minister-designate on the day of the special flight and the flight undertaken did not serve any public interest, it was not in a position to make the payment." The state government also told the Air Force top brass that it was not aware of any understanding reached between PMO and the state.

The defence ministry stated in September 1998 that the PMO "has been approached for directions to the state government for expediting settlement of the pending airlift bill."

The adverse CAG report on the special flight comes at a time when the Delhi high court is hearing petitions on the non-payment of dues by former prime ministers to the Air Force. Former defence minister Mulayam Singh Yadav too faces similar allegations. He undertook several flights to Uttar Pradesh for political reasons, running up a bill of several crore rupees on the defence forces. He reportedly undertook several helicopter sorties also between various UP towns.

The government has told the high court that it is going to realise more than Rs 13.46 crore from former PMs Chandra Shekhar, the late Rajiv Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao and H D Deve Gowda by December 31. The Public Interest Litigation filed by Advocate BL Wadhera alleges that Chandra Shekhar owes Rs 5.92 crores, Rao Rs 5.52 crores, Gandhi Rs 1.86 crores, and Gowda Rs 26.46 lakhs.

According to defence ministry rules, a PM can use defence aircraft for private use but has to pay up from his own pocket.

Another bench of the high court is hearing the petition against Yadav, who allegedly owes Rs 41.57 crores to the government.

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