The Prime Minister's Office declared that a sum of Rs.642 crores was incurred on the foreign visits of the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his tenure of nine years as PM. The PMO followed the mandatory obligation as directed by the RTI of revealing the tour expenses of the Ministers and VVIPs as the information is required in the in the interests of the public at large.
The Chief Information Commissioner of RTI said that the expenses incurred by the Government on the tours of the high profile dignitaries such as Prime Minsiter, President and Vice President will normally be asked as a Right to Information Act.
The information given by PMO consists of 65 visits of the Prime Minister since 2009 where as he made 67 trips. Expenses related to two visits could not be traced as told by PMO. This is only information regarding foreign visits of the Prime Minister. Domestic tours will touch a bigger figure than this.
Interestingly, the information on the medical expenses met by the Government of India on the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpaye was asked by a person from Moradabad. Vajpaye underwent a knee operation and adjustment during the period from 1999 to 2004.
It reminds the incident of recently Osmania University Students’ protest at Chiranjeevi’s residence for the large amount spent on Tourism Development Program. Developmental activities are like expenses on Research and Development result which is expected over a long period. Sometimes, an expenditure may not bear any fruits. But still research is a must for the exploration of new avenues. The same way expenditure on developmental activities cannot be compared with the daily and routine expenses.
Atal Behari Vajapaye the name of an almost forgotten Prime Minsiter by the general public came into focus in the 2G spectrum scam discussed the Joint Parliamentary Committee. The JPC complained that a terrific loss to the Country was sustained during the Government of Vajpaye when a wrong decision was taken in the policy of the Telecome Industry.
(AW-SriJa)
