Belagavi: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah created yet another controversy by taking a chopper ride to be a part of the wedding celebrations of his cabinet colleague Ramesh Jarkhiholi’ son. What eventually made many wonder was in terms of cost, because the chopper ride may cost the state exchequer a whopping Rs 6 Lakh in total.
When Gali Janaradhan Reddy’s wedding was on the anvil, CM had hinted that an invite cannot be refused but in the end did not take part in the wedding celebrations. When reporters questioned, Siddaramaiah had said, he was against attending big fat weddings.
However, his move to fly from Belagavi to Gokak to wish the newly-wed couple has taken many by surprise. Though the wedding was not on the lines of Brahmani’s (Janardhan Reddy’s daughter) wedding but reports suggest that expenses for this wedding too ran into crores of rupees.
Siddaramaiah accompanied by his cabinet colleagues G Parmeshwara, K J George, Chief Whip Ashok Pattana and MLA H M Revanna took off at 7.30 am on November 22 and landed back in the newly-built helipad near Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi after wishing the newly-wed couple.
It is not clear as of now that who would bear the chopper travel costs with this being a private visit with no other government programmes listed on the way for the day based on DPAR records.
Reacting on the issue, CM said, “Wedding of Ramesh Jarkhiholi’s son cannot be compared with that Janardhan Reddy’s daughter. Three Jarkhiholi brothers are in politics and have a huge fan following. I could not attend the wedding on November 21 due to innumerable programmes but I wished the couple on the next day. Happy to know that thousands of people turned out for the wedding but I personally oppose big fat weddings.”
Satish Jarkhiholi, former minister in Siddaramiah’s cabinet was conspicuous by his absence at the wedding venue though he was in Gokak when CM and his cabinet colleagues landed to wish the newly-wed couple.
It is learnt that the state will ultimately bear the chopper travel costs. However, one has to wait till the month end when bills are tabled for clearance to know the real outcome, whether the chopper ride was sponsored or not.
