Kerala CM denies misuse of Ockhi relief fund

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's office on Tuesday denied reports of using Okchi relief fund to pay off expenses incurred on his helicopter ride to cyclone-hit areas.

The statement also said that the concerned order was issued without the knowledge of the Chief Minister and his office.

Vijayan's office further added that officials were not in the know of things and as soon as they came to know, the order was withdrawn.

Vijayan flew on board a chartered chopper on December 26 from Thrissur, where he was attending a Communist Party of India-Marxist meeting, to the state capital to meet a central team that had come visiting from Delhi to study the damage caused by the cyclone on November 30.

After the meeting, Vijayan flew back to Thrissur. His government had allegedly debited the chopper ride's expenses to the relief fund. The government had also ordered to pay an amount of Rs. 8 lakh to the aviation company.