Ministers spent 965 more than travel allocation

The tour expenses include the money spent on maintenance of VVIP aircraft and this,officials indicated,could have contributed a major chunk to the increase this year.

If figures are any indication,the Union ministers travelled like never before this past year. Against Rs 46.95 crore budgeted for their tour expenses in 2011-12,the Cabinet ministers,ministers of state and former prime ministers ended up spending Rs 499.89 crore,a 964.72 percent more,according to the revised estimates for this fiscal. In 2010-11,their tour expenses were Rs 56.15 crore. This unprecedented increase has prompted the government to allocate Rs 260.95 crore for their tour expenses in 2012-13,a 455.80 per cent hike over the previous year.

The tour expenses include the money spent on maintenance of VVIP aircraft and this,officials indicated,could have contributed a major chunk to the increase this year.

In 2011-12,a Rs 152.40 crore were allocated for seven different sub-heads falling under the Council of Ministers. In the revised estimates,the overall expenses for this category have shot up to Rs 606.60 crore a good 298 per cent more. Out of this,Rs 499.89 crore fall under the tour expenses category while the remaining Rs 106.71 crore are under six other sub-heads: salaries,sumptuary and other allowances,cabinet secretariat,national security council secretariat,office of principal scientific advisor and the Prime Ministers Office. But for the Cabinet Secretariat,all the other categories spent more than what was budgeted for them this fiscal.

At Rs 388.09 crore for next fiscal,the combined budget estimate for the Council of Ministers for 2012-13 is still 154.65 per cent more than 2011-12. And of this Rs 388.09 crore,the lions share,Rs 260.95 crore,has been budgeted for tour expenses.

The allocation for the Special Protection Group,which provides proximate security to the PM,former PMs and members of their immediate families,is up from the budgeted Rs 279 crore in 2011-12 to Rs 351 crore for the next fiscal,but is still lower than the Rs 385 crore it ended up spending this fiscal. Significantly,the allocation of funds for SPGs capital expenditure purchase of security expenditure and weaponry is down from Rs 186.25 crore in 2011-12 to 139.08 crore for 2012-13.