Chartered Flights Used Only for Urgent Work, Says Bawankule

Nagpur: Maharashtra Revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday defended the use of chartered aircraft by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, saying the facility was used only "four to five times a year" and strictly for urgent administrative engagements requiring rapid travel across the state.Speaking to the media here amid growing political scrutiny over govt spending and executive privileges, Bawankule argued that Fadnavis, who also oversees several key portfolios, often handles an exceptionally demanding schedule requiring swift movement between official engagements."Strict instructions have already been issued that chartered aircraft cannot be used without the CM's approval," Bawankule said, rejecting opposition criticism over the issue.The minister said the state govt was simultaneously attempting to reduce unnecessary official travel through increased use of digital governance. Most review meetings with district collectors and senior bureaucrats were now being conducted online, he said, adding that officers were no longer routinely summoned to Mumbai for administrative reviews.Bawankule also defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push for self-reliance, linking it to Mahatma Gandhi's swadeshi philosophy. "The country's wealth must remain within the country," he said, while advocating ethanol-blended fuel and solar energy as "effective indigenous alternatives" capable of strengthening India's economic resilience and reducing import dependence.He accused opposition parties of politicising the swadeshi campaign instead of creating public awareness about economic self-sufficiency. Referring indirectly to criticism from opposition leaders, including NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar, the guardian minister said the country remained "safe under Modi's leadership" and claimed repeated electoral defeats left opposition parties politically unsettled.The remarks come at a time when questions around public expenditure, governance transparency and the use of state resources by political executives are increasingly drawing national attention.