Indian Big-wigs Shells out Huge Expenditure for Foreign Trips

BANGALORE: In a globalized world, foreign visits are very much essential for negotiations and consultations of bilateral, multilateral and international ecosystems. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi regime, the Ministry of Finance and the Cabinet Secretariat has put limits on the number and duration of visits. Since abroad visits involve spending valuable foreign exchange, secretaries have been directed to be strict in sanctioning them and to use main missions abroad to represent the country instead.

Amidst all these, In Karnataka around 135 bureaucrats, in various ranks and capacities are reported of travelling abroad in the previous three years representing the State. For such trips, the government has shell out around 1.10 crore, disclosed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, reports Deccan Herald.

Over this period of three years, Chief Secretary Kaushik Mukherjee (five trips) took the maximum number of trips abroad followed by Additional Chief Secretary Arvind Jadhav (four trips), senior IAS officer Arvind Srivastava (three trips) and Director of Industries and Commerce M Maheshwar Rao (three trips).

Out of all such trips, most of the trips are government sponsored trip and some travel overseas through invitations from host countries or UN agencies.

With the Prime Minister’s aim on minimum government and maximum governance, and solid commitment to transparency, it might indeed impose stringent austerity drives.

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