Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has approved business class air travel for both Cabinet and State Ministers on official trips.
“The state government is pleased to allow Ministers, both Cabinet and State, to travel by air in Executive/Business/Club class for official purposes. This has been concurred by the Finance Department,” stated a notification issued by the Parliamentary Affairs department.
In September, the state government extended air travel permissions for Group-A officers (Level-12 and above) within Odisha for official duties. Previously, these officers were limited to rail or road transport for in-state official travel.
However, with increasing intra-state air connectivity, the government is now allowing them to travel by air on official tours within the state.
The Council of Ministers in Odisha, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), includes the Chief Minister, two Deputy Chief Ministers, eight Cabinet Ministers, and five Ministers of State with independent charge.