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| ‘Omar's aircraft has cost JK Rs 12 Cr in 3 yrs’ | | CM's zero expenses on tours! | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Apr 1: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's zero expenses on tours notwithstanding; his aircraft has cost the state Rs 12 Crore during the past three years.
Sceptics believe that the Chief Minister has been shuttling between the two capitals of the state and New Delhi as frequently as he goes to the toilet.
According to official figures, During 2011-2012 Over Rs 78 Lac had been spent on 13 aircraft sorties carrying the Chief Minister between Jammu, Srinagar, Baramullah and between Srinagar Budgam.
But the Chief Minister still deserves credit for his `zero expenses on his tours'. He must also be appreciated for spending Rs 3.23 lacs on his tours during 2009-2010 which when compared to his predecessors can be termed as an example in austerity.
The officials who usually accompany the Chief Minister also deserve appreciation because during 2009-2010 their expenses on tours were Rs. 1.41 lakhs and Rs. 61000 during 2010-2011.
The Tourism Minister nawang Rigzin tops the list having spent about Rs. 8.16 lakhs in 2009-2010 on the tours which went up to Rs. 8.78 lakhs during 2010-2011.
Two reasons have been given for Rigzin's heavy expenses. He represents Leh constituency in the Assembly that has made it mandatory for him to undertake frequent visits to the land of Lamas for monitoring development works. Secondly, as minister for tourism he is supposed to visit various states and countries for promoting tourist traffic to Jammu and Kashmir.
Only one minister has the distinction of giving company to the Chief Minister in observing austerity measures. The Pashu Palan (Animal Husbandary) Minister, Aga Syed Rahullah too has zero expenses on tours during the last one year.
Interestingly the Minister of state for Forests and environment, Shabir Khan, has incurred expenses to the tune of Rs. 4.39 lakhs on tours in 2009-2010 and Rs. 4.34 lakh in 2010-2011. However, his senior Mian Altaf has spent Rs. 1.56 lakhs on tours in 2009-2010 and Rs. 1.41 lakh in 2010-2011.
The only justification for Omar and Altaf to spend quite less on tours is their respective constituency's proximity to the summer capital. Omar represents Ganderbal constituency which is 25 kms from Srinagar, and Altaf elected from the Kangan constituency which is 35 kms from the state's summer capital. However, this argument has not gone well with the skeptics.
But there are many who are not prepared to accept this argument. If distance from the capital is the criterion for spending funds, the Minister for Rural Development, Ali Muhammad Sagar, should have not spent Rs. 3.60 lakhs on tours in 2009-2010 and Rs. 3.90 lakhs in 2010-2011 when he represents Khanyar constituency, located in Srinagar.
Similarly the Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand, spending Rs. 4.24 lakhs and Rs. 6.05 lakhs on tours during the last two years when he is elected from Chhamb constituency, 40 kms from Jammu cannot be justified.
Sceptis want the Government to issue a white paper on the expenses incurred on fuel consumption and telephone by the members of the council of ministers in Jammu and Kashmir during the last two years. |
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