The Modi government spent around Rs 510 crore on foreign travel by its ministers and officials in 2014-15, with the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions – headed by the PM – running the highest bill at Rs 351.6 crore. The three next biggest spenders were the Department of Space, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism and Lok Sabha.
Though Modi’s foreign trips have come under criticism from the Congress and other opposition parties, data reveals that the Ministry has – over the past three years – spent over Rs 453 crore in 2012-13, higher than the Rs 351 crore in 2014-15.
The ministries and departments that spent over Rs 1 crore on foreign tours last fiscal include the commerce ministry; departments of economic affairs, atomic energy and science & technology; DoT; defence (services); defence accounts (civil); industry ministry; IT ministry; department of revenue; agriculture; planning; culture; information and broadcasting; labour; and the health ministry, according to the Times of India.
Those which reported a jump in their foreign tour bills last year were the MHA, Labour Ministry, Rajya Sabha, Information and Broadcasting, Youth Affairs and Sports as well as Minority Affairs. Some, however, showed a sizeable cut in their expenses in 2014-15 as compared to 2013-14. These were the department of higher education; school education & literacy; chemicals & petrochemicals; election commission; corporate affairs; overseas Indian affairs and DoT. The ministry with the lowest bill was panchayati raj. Its expenses in 2014-15 were a mere Rs 35,650, down from Rs 4.83 lakh in 2013-14 and Rs 11.22 lakh in 2012-13.
(With PTI inputs)
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