New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government has spent over Rs 14 Lakh for hiring the chopper from which senior police officers of the state were seen showering rose petals on Kanwar pilgrims in Meerut and adjoining districts.

According to a report by Economic Times, a copy of an order issued by the state home department on August 4 approved the hiring of a chopper for “keeping an alert vision and effective surveillance” in Meerut and adjoining districts from August 7 to August 9. The chopper has been hired from Air Charter Services Pvt Ltd at Rs 14.31 lakh, the order says.

Over the last two days, Additional Director General (Meerut Zone) Prashant Kumar and other senior police officers posted pictures and videos of them showering petals on kanwariyas from the chopper. The order on the exercise issued by the home department, however, did not specify such a mandate.

An earlier order issued on July 27 by the state home department had in fact envisaged a five-day exercise for chopper surveillance in Meerut range where the kanwar yatra is undertaken in a big way.

Yogi Adityanath had done so while doing an aerial survey of the Kanwar Yatra on July 28.

A video of Additional Director General of UP Police Meerut Zone, Prashant Kumar and Commissioner Chandra Prakash Tripathi has sparked a new controversy. The video shows ADG Prashant Kumar showering flower petals from a helicopter on the Kanwariyas.

In the video, UP ADG can be seen sitting inside the helicopter and showering them with 'blessings' while on surveillance duty. The video has gone viral on the social media and has come for much criticism for dereliction of duty.

The Yogi Adityanath government in the state has gone out of the way for Kanwariyas. The traffic on busy National Highway 27 had also been diverted for last few days for the Kanwariyas. There has been a complete closure of meat shops and restaurants selling non-vegetarian food along the Kanwariya route.

Speaking to media, SSP Meerut, Rajesh Pandey said, “We requested those engaged in meat business to co-operate with us during the Kanwar yatra and I am thankful to them that a majority among them have closed down shutters for the period.”