The Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) has spent Rs 4.2 crore on official trips to both domestic and international destinations over the past 14 years, an RTI query has revealed.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) has spent Rs 4.2 crore on official trips to both domestic and international destinations over the past 14 years, an RTI query has revealed.
As per the response to the query, officials have gone abroad on study tours, meetings, conferences, related to monorail, metro, air quality, urban planning and traffic control among others. Besides MMRDA officials, state government officials, municipal corporators, and the mayor among others were also part of these tours to destinations like the UK, China, Malaysia, USA and Paris.
The information, provided on February 11, was a response to an RTI query by activist Anil Galgali. Galgali had sought to know the details of expenses for foreign tours and air fare for domestic travel. The average expense MMRDA incurred was Rs 20 lakh per year from 2001 to 2014. The total expenditure on foreign tours was Rs 2.86 crore, while domestic air expenses stood at Rs 1.42 crore. The remaining amount was spent in the country of travel.
The maximum amount spent on a single trip was Rs 49.18 lakh, on a 14-day 'Comprehensive Study Program' to Malaysia, China, Canada, USA, and Japan. The trip included 10 people in all, with three ministers of state, their private secretaries andgovernment officials. Rajesh Tope, Rajendra Shingre, and Sunil Deshmukh were part of this trip.
The second highest amount spent on a single trip was Rs 49.07 lakh in 2008, when seven officials went to Switzerland, Sweden, France and Germany to study 'Urban planning, traffic and transportation and urban development'. Former minister of state Rajesh Tope, then mayor Shubha Raul, ex-councillor Rajesh Singh and current BJP city president Ashish Shelar were part of this trip.
"In the era of IT, the use of technology should not be ignored, which is widely utilized by corporates to save valuable time and money," said Galgali, asking why officials could not resort to video conferencing instead. "I am not aware, please talk to our finance department. They have given the information," said Dilip Kawathkar, MMRDA's public relations officer, when to comment on the RTI reply.
High-fliers
Rs 2.86 crore spent on foreign tours
Rs 1.42 crore spent on domestic air travel
Rs 49.18: Maximum spent on single trip; a 14-day 'Comprehensive Study Program' to Malaysia, China, Canada, USA, and Japan. The party included three ministers of state, their private secretaries andgovernment officials. Rajesh Tope, Rajendra Shingre, and Sunil Deshmukh were part of this trip.
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