CM Mohan Charan Majhi Used Helicopters and Aircraft 119 Times, RTI Data Reveals

Details regarding the use of helicopters and aircraft by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi have come to light through information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

According to the RTI information received by social activist Prakash Das, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi used helicopters and aircraft for official tours on a total of 119 occasions between July 2024 and October 2025. Of these, helicopters were used 64 times, while aircraft were used on 55 occasions.

The information also reportedly shows that helicopters and aircraft were booked for some two-day and three-day tours undertaken by the Chief Minister.

The travel details include visits to various districts of Odisha as well as destinations outside the state. According to the information, helicopter travel was also undertaken for visits from Bhubaneswar to nearby locations such as Cuttack, Puri and Jagatsinghpur.

Keonjhar district reportedly recorded the highest number of helicopter visits by the Chief Minister during the period covered by the RTI data.

Reacting to the information, social activist Prakash Das said the use of helicopters and aircraft can certainly be justified for essential government programmes, urgent administrative work, disaster situations or instances where saving time is necessary.

However, he questioned whether the use of government vehicles and aircraft was necessary for every such visit and stressed the need for transparency regarding the expenditure involved.

Das said a clear account of the amount spent from the state exchequer on these helicopter and aircraft journeys should be made public.

The issue has also raised questions over the rationale behind air travel for visits to relatively nearby destinations and the overall cost incurred by the government.

The Chief Minister’s Office was approached for its response to the report. However, no response had been received until the time of publication.