Administrator spends ₹23 lakh for a single Lakshadweep trip

Lakshadweep Administrator Praful Khoda Patel.

The Lakshadweep administration is coughing up lakhs of rupees for each trip made by Administrator Praful Khoda Patel to the Union Territory.

Mr. Patel took a Coast Guard Dornier aircraft to travel to Agatti on Monday amidst protests by the islanders seeking his recall and withdrawal of the ‘unwieldy orders’ issued by him.

The Lakshadweep administration had sanctioned ₹23,21,280 by way of rent for a return trip from Daman undertaken by Mr. Patel and three officials in a Coast Guard Dornier aircraft on February 21.

This was in response to an invoice that was raised by the Ministry of Defence.

“This has given rise to widespread resentment in Lakshadweep, as Mr. Patel is on a splurging spree even as he took steps to terminate hundreds of temporary workers and those on contract citing the need to reduce expenditure. Farms are also being closed citing the same reason,” said K.I. Nizamuddin, member of the Village (Dweep) panchayat, Kavaratti.

BJP out of SLF

Meanwhile, the multi-party Save Lakshadweep Forum (SLF), which is on the warpath against the controversial draft notifications and orders issued by the administration, has ousted the BJP from its committee.

“The voice clip of Abdullakkutty, BJP in-charge of Lakshadweep, asking the partymen not to cooperate with the SLF and their general stand on a range of issues including the case against filmmaker Aisha Sultana made us decide in unison that they should not be a part of the Forum,” said a Save Lakshadweep Forum member.