SHILLONG:24 Jan 2013

Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma has not made any claim for seven foreign trips he undertook after assuming office on April 21, 2010.

This has raised a serious question: who forked out a whopping amount spent on these foreign trips on behalf Dr Sangma?

However, the Chief Minister has officially spent Rs 4,99,714 for the trips he undertook within India.

In reply to a RTI query posed by The Shillong Times on the tours (both foreign and domestic) by the Chief Minister since he assumed office, the Public Information Officer and the under secretary to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat said, “so far as the financial implication for the trips within India as per claims is Rs 4,99,714 only, whereas no claim has been made by the Chief Minister in connection with the foreign trips”.

The Chief Minister carried out as many as 57 domestic trips after he assumed office.

The question now is while the Chief Minister can claim reimbursement for the domestic trips, why de did not claim for the foreign trips which are more costly.

A source familiar with the matter said that either the Chief Minister spent from his pocket for the seven foreign trips or someone else has paid on his behalf since the Chief Minister’s secretariat said that no claim was made by the Chief Minister.

As per the reply of the public information officer, Dr Sangma’s seven foreign trips include visit to Manila, Bangladesh, Belgium, London, Slovak Republic , Canada and Japan.

The places visited by him within India include Delhi ( 45 trips), Kolkata (7), Mumbai (2 ) Goa (1), Kokrajhar (1), and Itanagar (1).

As per news reports, Dr Sangma visited International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Manila (Philippines) along with Chief Secretary WMS Pariat in December,2011 to have firsthand experience on organic rice cultivation.

The result of the Manila visit of the official team is yet to be known on the ground level.

A 10-day London trip was undertaken by the Chief Minister leading a delegation including Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of Health and Family Welfare Rowell Lyngdoh, a few legislators and the then officer on special duty to the chief minister, H.M. Shangpliang on June 22, 2010.

After his trip, the Chief Minister had told a news conference in Shillong that during his stay in London he had an interaction with the Bradford city football Club in London and they offered the Club’s expertise to train upcoming footballers of Meghalaya. Tourism promotion and investments were other areas taken up by the delegation during the meet.