Pakistan ex-minister's unpaid bills leave ministries squabbling

Two years after former Pakistani minister Amanullah Khan Jadoon visited New Delhi, three Union ministries are squabbling over who should pay out his Rs 24.8 lakh bill for flying him in an Indian Air Force (IAF) plane.

Jadoon, the then petroleum and gas minister, had visited New Delhi in February to discuss the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline. He used the IAF planes to fly thrice out of Delhi on private trips.

The IAF had been knocking at the doors of Jadoon's host, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, for the unpaid bill.

At one stage, the petroleum ministry had even directed the IAF to approach the ministry of external affairs (MEA) for the bill, "since looking after the foreign dignitaries falls in its domain". But the MEA had firmly refused to be drawn into the controversy.

In the latest move, the accounts director of the Air headquarters has written to Petroleum Minister Murli Deora seeking his intervention for settling the bill.

The letter to Deora says: "According to the indent and flight acceptance certificate, the bill towards airlift services is to be paid by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas."

The Air headquarters had sent all the three bills "" dated February 18 and 19 "" to the petroleum ministry around September 2006, and had also sent it many reminders.

The IAF sources said the petroleum ministry had requested the airlift services for the visiting dignitary and hence it had the responsibility to clear the bills as the visiting dignitary could not be asked to make the payment.

The ministry is reported to be holding back the bills as it finds them "exorbitant". In a letter to the petroleum secretary, the IAF, however, clarified that "the rates are charged in sync with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Defence."

"The air assets are quite scarce and need to be utilised in a cost-effective manner," the letter added.