The condition of the roads of Bengaluru, Karnataka, is known throughout India. Roads here are filled with potholes, and they are poorly maintained. Now, in such cases, what do you think the Public Works Department minister of this state should do? Inspect the roads and make them better for everyone, right? Well, you'd be wrong, because instead of doing this, the minister responsible for the roads of Karnataka has bought himself a Rs 30 crore twin-engined helicopter.
The images showing Karnataka PWD minister Satish Jarkiholi inspecting his newly bought Rs 30 crore helicopter have been shared on X by Times of India Bengaluru on their page. In these images, the minister can be seen checking out his latest acquisition at the Jakkur Aerodrome in Bengaluru. He was accompanied by other officials and his close aides.
From the images, it appears that the PWD minister responsible for providing citizens with pothole-free roads has bought himself an Italian-made Augusta AW109 helicopter. This 10-seater chopper is a light twin-engine, multipurpose helicopter. It is one of the most popular choices among both civilians and the military.
This helicopter can be flown by two pilots, and a total of 10 people can sit in it (including crew). This helicopter can cruise at speeds of 324 kmph and offers a range of around 875 km. It comes powered by Pratt and Whitney PW206C engines and offers upgraded avionics. Prior to this helicopter, Jarkiholi also owned a single-engined helicopter, which reportedly has been sold.
Satish Jarkiholi, along with being the Public Works Department minister of Karnataka, is also the owner of Satish Sugars Limited, which is one of the largest sugar plants in the state. It is involved in the production of sugar from sugarcane and also produces other products like molasses, etc. In addition to this, Satish Jarkiholi also owns Belgaum Sugars Aviation Service as well. This company offers charter/passenger aviation services.
A number of netizens who saw the post showing the minister inspecting his new helicopter have left enraged comments. They highlighted how a minister responsible for making roads better can himself buy and use a helicopter to fly away and leave the public in despair. One of the users said, “Where does the money flow from? @IncomeTaxIndia I am sure your eyes are open.”
Meanwhile, another user stated, “While people continue to struggle on pothole-ridden, accident-prone roads, the minister proudly ‘inspects’ his new luxury toy. From a single-engine chopper to a twin-engine upgrade — it’s clear that in his dictionary, public works means securing comfort for himself, not serving the public.”
Another user also said, “A minister should be on the road identifying the issues and fixing them on war footing... instead, they chose to look for their own comfort. Congratulations, sir. At least you are now free from pothole issues.”
The controversy has gone viral online, as many netizens have also stated that Satish Jarkiholi uses his helicopters during election campaigns as well.