Shimla, March 28,
The Himachal Pradesh government’s recent international travels, intended to bolster state development, have come in public platform after MLAs Sudhir Sharma and Surinder Shourie raised questions in the Vidhan Sabha. Their inquiry prompted the government to disclose that over ₹8.41 crore was spent on trips involving the Chief Minister, ministers, and officials to various countries.
Support Independent Journalism Complete Your Membership
Choose Your Membership
The government’s response detailed a range of expenditures, reflecting the diverse purposes of these visits. Notably, the most expensive trip was the education department’s visit to Singapore, which focused on teacher training and incurred costs of ₹6.05 crore.
A significant portion, ₹97.20 lakh, was allocated to a large group of horticulture officials who traveled to Serbia to study nursery management techniques. Trips to Australia, aimed at improving fruit production methods, cost ₹16.20 lakh and ₹14.16 lakh. A visit to the United States for plant material inspection incurred expenses of ₹18.98 lakh, while a European tour focusing on fruit propagation totaled ₹25.46 lakh.
In efforts to promote tourism, the Chief Minister’s visit to Dubai cost ₹11.73 lakh. A transport department delegation’s trip to Austria, related to ropeway technology, totaled ₹18.86 lakh. Industry-related travel to Dubai, concerning the bulk drug park, cost ₹18.42 lakh. A technology summit in Las Vegas saw an expenditure of ₹8.88 lakh. The Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Bank’s participation in a conference in Brazil amounted to ₹4.39 lakh. Trips related to hydroelectric projects in China incurred various expenses, and a visit to Sweden concerning dam safety cost ₹6.54 lakh.
The government has emphasized that these trips were undertaken with the goal of enhancing various sectors within the state, citing potential long-term benefits. However, the MLAs’ inquiry has brought the expenses into the public eye, prompting discussions about the balance between international exposure and fiscal responsibility, especially regarding the substantial expenditure for the Singapore education trip.
