New Delhi , May 10 (PTI): The Central government owes Rs. 451.75 crore to Air India for VVIP flights carrying the President, Vice President and the Prime Minister, as well as special missions, according to the latest data provided under the Right To Information Act.
As per the information provided in response to the RTI query filed by retired Commodore Lokesh Batra, senior officials of the Civil Aviation Ministry, including Union Minister Ashok Gajpathi Raju, had written 31 letters between 2014 and 2017 to various Ministries asking them to make timely payments to the national carrier for accruing dues at various points in time.The officials had asked the Ministries concerned to ensure availability of maintenance funds and make budgetary changes for VVIP flights and other special missions run by Air India, yet the outstandings were never cleared completely, it said. Air India keeps three Boeing 747, 400 aircraft for running chartered services for the President, Vice President and the Prime Minister during their visits abroad.
It also runs special evacuation missions and provides other services for foreign dignitaries. “The outstanding bills on account of the chartered VVIP flights, maintenance of the aircraft and evacuation missions by the External Affairs Ministry (MEA) remained at Rs 451.75 crore as on March 31, 2017 with some bills dating back to 2006,” the letters in response to the RTI query said.
They said Rs. 47.37 crore was pending towards six visits of the Prime Minister to the United States, African countries, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Thailand between November 9, 2016 and February 10, 2017. “Bills of Rs 206.19 crore towards 22 visits of the Vice President between June, 2008 and March 18, 2017 are still pending with the MEA,” they said.
Additional bills of Rs 145.63 crore towards the maintenance of Boeing 747-400 aircraft in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 for the Vice-President’s flights are yet to be cleared by the ministry, they said.
