30 Union Cabinet ministers spent Rs 300 crores in three years on travelling, between 2006-09, out of which their domestic travels alone cost Rs 163 crores.
In fact the highest amount of Rs 115 crores was spent in 2007-08, when the country was sliding into an economic slowdown. These staggering igures have been revealed in response to an RTI application filed by activist Subhash Chetan Agarwal.
Perhaps this was part of an unwritten “stimulus package” to help out the ailing aviation industry. One can only imagine what might have happened to the robbed and plundered Air India otherwise. Or did they help private operators out?
I can hear some ministers saying that the duo of Sonia and Rahul have spent more on travelling than all of them put together. Rahul's day out costs Rs 1 crore.
Crossing the desert
3 weeks ago
5 comments:
The meaning of the word austerity is evidently different in the dictionary of the common man and in that used by Cabinet Ministers!
Though it is heartening that we at least get to know these travelling expenses figures because of the RTI Act.
Does Air India deserve to live? it was never managed right and maybe for the sole reason of helping the private players..
Manju, evidently it is.And only to con the aam aadmi! The RTI Act is getting some secrets out even in its severely curtailed form.
Happy Kitten, Air India has been treated as the mistress of babus and netas. They have had an unabashed blast at state expense without any same or sense of responsibility whatsoever. All this talk of "national carrier" etc is designed to ensure it remains their own.
300 Cr is a lot of money.
Public centre,including Air India continue to exist because of these Ministers and Babus and we are the suckers.
If some of us become more active with RTI, a lot more can be exposed.
Oh my god! No wonder Air India is in the state that it is in! One good thing is that the RTI is alteast bringing this sort of stuff in front of us! But will this shame our ministers and bureaucracy to behave responsibly?
And 1 crore for Rahul's day out! That is outrageous! Surely the aan aadmi would benefit a lot more if he stayed home!
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