H. Vishwanath, BJP MLC, referred to the use of special aircraft for shorter distances. | Photo credit: FILE PHOTO
BJP member H. Vishwanath on Tuesday questioned what he described as “excessive” and unnecessary expenditure by the state government on security and travel arrangements for the Chief Minister and ministers.
As part of the budget debate in the Legislative Council, Mr. Vishwanath asked whether public money collected through taxes could be spent so freely.
Excursions to Mysore
He pointed out that Mysuru is about 120 km from Bengaluru and can be reached within an hour with an escort, but the Chief Minister has opted for special planes on a regular basis. He claimed that about ₹38 crore has been spent on such travel so far, with each trip costing around ₹6.5 crore. He also mentioned the use of special aircraft for shorter distances, including travel from Mysuru to Hunsur and for trips to Delhi.
In comparison, Mr. Vishwanath said that even industrialist Narayana Murthy and his wife Sudha Murty travel on commercial flights and asked if Karnataka was in a position to bear such expenses.
“Expensive” security
He also raised concerns about security measures and questioned the need for what he called “expensive” protection. Referring to the number of ministers and officials with cabinet status, he said 33 ministers and a few others – a total of about 149 people – are using such facilities, leading to additional expenses. He questioned whether such levels of security, including Category Z cover for some, were necessary.
“The Congress government has spent nearly ₹532 crore on advertisement in the last two years. This could have been used for development and social programmes,” he said.
Claiming that the state is witnessing financial strain, mounting debt and delays in implementing programmes, he said there is a shortage of nearly 2 million government employees and questioned how development could be carried out without adequate staff.
On the post of Minister of Finance
He suggested that the state appoint a separate finance minister, arguing that the responsibility required special attention to ensure a sound budget was presented.
These remarks led to interruptions by members of the ministries. Congress Chief Whip Saleem Ahmed said similar practices were followed during BJP’s tenure as well, including security arrangements for former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, and objected to the tone of the criticism.
Members of the Treasury argued that official travel and related expenses were part of governance and public outreach.
Published – 17 March 2026 20:36 IST
