Social media uproar in India over Air India crash rescue refreshment bill

Social media users in India have expressed anger over a bill worth PKR 4.9 million, approved for refreshments provided to rescue and emergency workers following the deadly Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad last year, 24NewsHD TV reported on Sunday.

According to reports, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation cleared the bill for tea, biscuits, bottled water, milk, and other refreshments supplied to personnel involved in rescue and recovery operations after the crash of Air India Flight 171 on June 12, 2025.

The refreshments were reportedly provided for nearly a month to municipal workers, police officers, volunteers, and teams engaged in debris removal and recovery efforts at the crash site and related locations.

The expenditure has sparked debate on social media, where many users questioned the scale of public spending during a national tragedy.

Critics argued that the amount appeared excessive for basic refreshments, while others defended the expenditure, saying thousands of personnel worked long shifts during the emergency response.

The controversy resurfaced after details of the approved bill became public, triggering widespread discussion over transparency and accountability in disaster-related spending.

The Air India crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, was one of India's deadliest aviation disasters in recent years.

More than 240 people were killed when the passenger aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff, prompting a large-scale rescue and recovery operation involving multiple government agencies and volunteers.