Kerala CM Satheesan’s charter flight: no cost to govt, say govt sources

VD Satheesan | Photo credit: ANI

Chief Minister VD Satheesan’s trip to Malappuram on Monday to assess rain-related damage on a chartered flight has drawn allegations of “sponsorship” from Left organisations.

Mr Satheesan’s office said the special flight was chartered because the lease on the police helicopter had expired and due to the urgency of the chief minister’s visit to the disaster-hit areas. The CMO also argued that the charter did not incur any costs to the government.

Meanwhile, Mr. Satheesan’s decision to opt for a chartered flight has drawn criticism from the Students’ Federation of India (SFI). In a post on social media, SFI state secretary Sanjeev PS hit out at the CM and said that allegedly the cost of the charter was being borne by a “sponsor”. “If we call it violation of oath of office, IUML and Congress would claim that it has not caused any loss to the state, only gain to the government,” he said.

Published – 21 Sep 2026 21:21 IST