Bhubaneswar: The state government on Friday expressed its "deep regret" over the general administration department's letter to the governor's secretariat seeking clarifications on Ganeshi Lal's flight from New Delhi to Sirsa in Haryana in a helicopter on June 10.

The governor had flown from New Delhi to his hometown Sirsa in a private chopper following which the state government department had asked the governor's secretariat to explain "the reason and circumstances for hiring a helicopter."

Official sources said after chief minister Naveen Patnaik had expressed his displeasure over the controversy, chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi on Friday went to the Raj Bhavan and personally apologised to the governor. The Raj Bhavan had taken strong exception to the way the letter had been worded.

The chief secretary's office on Friday issued a statement saying, "äction will be taken against the officer who had issued the letter to the Governor's secretariat".

The state government also clarified that it had approved the governor' visit to Haryana. The issue of approval had become controversial after deputy secretary, general administration, in his letter to the special secretary, Raj Bhavan, asked "to intimate the reasons and circumstances for hiring of a helicopter for use of Hon'ble Governor and deviation in the approved schedule of the flight and whether approval of the competent authority has been taken for the purpose or not".

Lal had flown to New Delhi from Bhubaneswar in a twin-engine jet aircraft special jet to attend "prior engagements". On the same day, he had gone to Sirsa using a helicopter as the airfield there was not ready for the landing of a jet aircraft.

The governor returned to Bhubaneswar on June 13.

The Pinnacle Air Private Limited, which had provided the aircraft and the chopper, had demanded Rs 41.18 lakh for the flight from Bhubaneswar to New Delhi and back. It had also submitted a separate bill for Rs 5 lakh for the use of the chopper.