Flying Circus - II

A healthy flight schedule

This week let’s have a look at the travel forays of Vishwajeet Rane, the Minister for Health. Yes, the man and his henchmen called the Group of Seven (G7) whose constant pressure on the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat to quit is like a virus that has no cure, but could be good for the bottomline of the airline industry, and the reason that kept Kamat airborne for the most part of his 22-month period between April, 2008 and January 2010 (Mirror May 16).

2008

01-06 April (travel date), Mumbai-Delhi-Mumbai (place visited), (airfare) Rs 50,420 + Rs 1,560 (DA), total Rs 51,980. As I wrote last Sunday, some of these airfares don’t just square up with the real fares. This one definitely looks on the higher side even when you factor in Rane’s stated preference for Business Class travel. 09-15 April, Mumbai, Rs 18,250+Rs 1,742, total Rs 19,692; 21-22 April, Mumbai, Rs 18,250+442, total Rs 18,692; 05-06 May, Mumbai, Rs 19,940+442, total Rs 20,382. Between 13 May-03 June Rane spent 21 days vacationing in Mumbai (or whatever he did there for such a long period) and got paid a DA of Rs 5,642. Total cost: Rs 25,582. 06-08 June, Mumbai Rs 20,540+702, total Rs 21,242; 12-14 June, Mumbai, Rs 20,540+624, total Rs 21, 164. Between 18-20 June he flew Delhi-Mumbai at a cost of Rs 51,415+615 (total cost: Rs 52,030). This time Rane flew Economy Class yet still landed up paying almost the same fare he paid for his first flight (01-06 April) but the longer Mumbai-Delhi-Mumbai route flying Business Class. Something’s amiss surely. 27-28 June, Mumbai, Rs 20,540+442, total Rs 20,982; 30 June-01 July, Delhi, Rs 42,850+355, total Rs 43,205 and yet another Business Class flight. To Kamat’s credit, he flew Business Class on a total of four flights only, while, Rane flew Business Class on 35 of the total of 52 flights during the same period Kamat flew a total of 59 times. Quite obviously Rane’s flying around cost you more too at Rs 17,56,397 against Kamat’s Rs 13,26,144. But, put that down to his vanity and extravagance, if you like.
Austerity is not a word our montris are familiar with but Rane seems to have taken that to its height – almost as much as the flight that was transporting him for his various jaunts.

2008 and still flying

03-05 July, Mumbai-Shamshabad-Tirupati-Bangalore, Rs 43,439+530, total Rs 43,969; 09-10 July, Mumbai-Delhi-Mumbai, Rs 59,980+446, total Rs 60,426. Rane flew on consecutive days to Delhi on 16 July flying Delhi-Mumbai, Rs 21,625+95, total Rs 21,720 and on 17 July flying Delhi-Mumbai, Rs 21,625+260, total Rs 21,885, which tells you much on how your tax bucks are wasted as the Group of Seven indulge in their healthy (according to them) game of toppling Kamat. 24-27 July, Bangalore-Coimbatore-Bangalore, Rs 34,095+845, total Rs 34,940; 06-07 August, Mumbai, Rs 21,510+364, Rs 21,874. Rane had another longish vacation in Mumbai between 06-16 September at a total cost of Rs 25,238. 11-15 October, Mumbai, Rs 22,418+1,300, total Rs 23,718; 19-27 October, Mumbai-Delhi-Mumbai, Rs 63,399+2,340, total Rs 65,739; 02-04 November, Mumbai-Delhi, Rs 37,723+780, total 38,503; 09-13 November, Mumbai, total Rs 13,991; 21 November, Mumbai-Delhi, total Rs 32,415; 04-06 December, Delhi-Mumbai, total Rs 59, 727; 18-24 December, Mumbai, total Rs 36,514.

2009 & the Big ‘B’ of Business Class

As a frequent flier to Mumbai, Rane deserves to be named the Big ‘B’ of Business Class because he flew Economy Class on three occasions of the many flights he made in 2009 and in fact up to 2010. 06-09 January, Delhi-Mumbai, Rs 57,063, total Rs 57,063; 28 January-01 February, Mumbai, total Rs 13,692; 18-20 February, Mumbai, total Rs 20, 393. Between 26 February-01 March he evidently went on holiday flying Delhi-Jammu-Delhi at a total cost to you of Rs 64,390. 03-04 March Mumbai, total Rs 20,720; 08-11 March, Mumbai, total Rs 21,832. Between 13-19 March he spent a whopping Rs 90,623 flying the route Delhi-Bangalore-Kochi-Mumbai and quite clearly had some unofficial business to finish soon between 29 March-06 April at Mumbai flying there at a cost of Rs 20,867. Unfinished, did I say? He was back again in favourite Mumbai where he stayed longer between 27 April-01 June and his airfare cost you Rs 21,425 but his 35-day Mumbai jaunt cost you an extra Rs 9,282 by way of DA. 05-10 June, Mumbai-Coimbatore-Mumbai, Rs 37,639+1,560, total Rs 39,199. I can’t comprehend this one either, that is, the flight cost of Rs 60,078-624 travelling Business Class to Delhi-Mumbai between 17-19 June. In truth none of his more expensive flight costs make sense when you compare the market rates for a single passenger. 15-19 July, Mumbai, Rs 14,035+1,040, total Rs 15,075; 11-16. August, Mumbai, Rs 22,182+1,482, total Rs 23,664. Rane was back with another high-priced Business Class airfare flying to Delhi-Mumbai between 19-22 August at a cost of Rs 69,871+1,222. Total cost: Rs 71,093. 25-31 August, Mumbai, Rs 23,086+1,742, total Rs 24,828; 18-19 September, Mumbai, Rs 24,208+442, total Rs 24,650; 21-25 September, Mumbai, Rs 24,192+1,222, total Rs 25,414; 15-20 October, Mumbai, Rs 22,917+780, total Rs 23,697. Rane spent all of nine days in Mumbai again between 28 October-6 November, his total cost amounting to Rs 24,242+2,522. Total: Rs 26,764. 07-10 November, Bangalore, Rs 16,141+962, Rs 17,103; 12-13 November, Mumbai, Rs 22,835+442, total Rs 23,277; 18-24 November, Mumbai, Rs 22,835+1,742, total Rs 24,577. The same here: 05-11 November, Delhi-Mumbai, Rs 65,637+1,820, total Rs 67,457. 28 December, Mumbai, total Rs 33,321; 05-10 January, Mumbai, Rs 28,092+1,560, total Rs 29,652; 31 January-04 February, Mumbai Rs 17,911+1,300, total Rs 19,211; 06-07 February, Mumbai, Rs 24,556+442, total Rs 24,998; 12-15 February, Mumbai, Rs 24,556+962, total Rs 25,518.

Total: Rs 17,56,397
Digambar Kamat: Rs 13,26,144

Grand total: Rs 30,82,541 and still soaring high.


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