CorporateCAG flays heavy expenditure by Mulayam govt on Safai airstrip
The Comptroller and Auditor General has termed as "unwise" the crores of rupees spent on the upgradation and extension of the airstrip in Safai, the native village of Mulayam Singh Yadav, during his tenure as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
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In its report submitted to the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, the CAG has flayed the expenditure of Rs 48.04 crores between 2004 and 2007 for upgrading the airstrip for use of Boeing 737 and its commercial use later.
While RITES limited, which was made the consultants of the project in September 2004 in its detailed project report could not justify its commercial practicality, it was suggested that possibility of non aviation activities be explored and works centered on air strip be developed.
Though the works were completed in February 2007, the airstrip was neither used for flying Boeing 737 nor any development of flying club or shopping complex was undertaken.
The report mentions that in its reply in July 2008, the state government said the airstrip was fully functional though there was no air traffic control system.
But the government said that the second phase of works like setting up of air terminal building and other facilities connected with it were not required.
It was also noted that the use of the air strip runway for government flights was very low. Though in 2005-06 the number of flights was 156, it came down to a mere 35 in 2007-08.