Kathmandu: Amid growing public criticism over what was described as a “picnic by helicopter,” the Secretariat of Bagmati Province Chief Minister Indra Bahadur Baniya has clarified that the helicopter used for his visit to Sindhupalchowk was hired at his own personal expense, not with government funds.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Chief Minister’s Secretariat said that Baniya used a helicopter on May 17 to travel to Siraha and Sindhupalchowk after receiving invitations to attend two different programmes scheduled on the same day. According to the Secretariat, it was not possible for the Chief Minister to attend both programmes by road within the limited time, prompting him to hire a helicopter at his own cost.
The Secretariat claimed that the helicopter used during the visit was not paid for by the Bagmati Province government and that no public funds were spent on the travel.
According to the statement, Chief Minister Baniya had been invited to the 6th Climate Conference organised at Gufadanda in Melamchi Municipality–9, Sindhupalchowk. On the same day, he was also invited to attend a separate programme organised in Siraha by Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Yadav.
The use of a helicopter by the Chief Minister had drawn sharp criticism on social media and from political opponents, with many accusing him of misusing state resources for personal recreation. In response, the Secretariat reiterated that the trip was purely official in nature and that the helicopter was hired privately to manage time constraints.
The clarification comes as public scrutiny over the use of helicopters by elected officials has intensified, particularly amid concerns over government spending, transparency, and accountability.
