Unauthorised use of Army choppers in three Commands cost Rs 8.49 crores: CAG

The CAG report states that as per the Compendium on Management of Army Aviation and direction given by the Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS) on utilization of the helicopters, the chopper sorties should not be demanded between places connected by civil aviation and where the aircraft is required to stay overnight away from parent base.

The CAG has also pointed out that the Army choppers were also used in violation of the direction that the aircraft must not undertake a hopping flight to reach the destination. Also, rules forbid the use of helicopters if the travel time is four hours or less and no helicopters will be demanded on Saturday, Sunday and holidays. The CAG report states that these regulations too were violated on numerous occasions in the three commands.

The report also points out that in another violation of instructions, in several cases, stand-by Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) were also deployed for VVIP visits of Army Commanders which caused extra expenditure.

Some of the violations which have been specifically highlighted by the CAG pertain to usage of chopper sorties to transport Lt Gen MMS Rai, the present Vice Chief of Army Staff, who was earlier serving as GOC-in-C, Eastern Command and his wife in her capacity as the Regional President of the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA). Other senior officers named include Lt Gen AK Sahni GOC-in-C South Western Command, Lt Gen Ashok Singh GOC-in-C Southern Command, Lt Gen Rajan Bakshi former GOC-in-C Central Command, Lt Gen Anil Chait, former Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chiefs of Staff Committee, and Lt Gen Sanjeev Chachra former GOC-in-C Northern Command.

Eastern Command

Sorties involving 14 helicopters were undertaken between November 2013 and March 2014 wherein the distance travelled was less than three hours by road. Besides, on two occasions GOC-in-C, Southern Command, and GOC-in-C, Central Command, undertook sorties along with Regional President-AWWA, covering three states and by hopping flights which was inadmissible.

Also, an ALH Squadron was involved in 20 communication sorties in January 2014 to March 2014, involving night halt on 10 occasions including foreign country (Bhutan). Since aircraft are not allowed to stay overnight away from the parent base, the sorties involving night halts were in violation of laid down instructions.

The report states that standby aircraft were detailed in this command on 16 occasions during 2011-12 to 2013-14 by the ALH Squadron resulting in unauthorised expenditure of Rs 2.89 crore.

Northern Command

In three Squadrons/Independent Flights under this command during the year 2011- 12 and 2013-14, at least 856 sorties were undertaken where travel time by road was even less than three hours. In most of the occasions, the road distance was only 20 km, the report says.

Western Command

CAG observed during the the audit of 660 Army Aviation Squadron that sorties were used where the distance by road was less than four hours and also used during Saturday, Sunday and holidays on 63 occasions during the year 2011-12 to 2013-14 which resulted in unauthorised 60.10 flying hours worth Rs 60 lakhs.

On being pointed out in audit regarding non observance of the instructions for utilisation of the aircrafts, the Directorate General of Army Aviation (DGAA) stated in July 2015 that the GOC-in-C, of a Command is empowered for sanctioning sorties for movement of service personnel as per operational necessity within the respective command area of responsibility. The DGAA stated in July 2015 that no standby aircraft was to be detailed for movement of senior officers.

The CAG has noted in its report that the reply of the DGAA is not acceptable, as notwithstanding the sanctioning powers of the GOC in C, as the above stated sorties were carried out in violation of the laid down norms.