Narendra Modi’s foreign travel has often been criticized as a splurge of public money without much effect in the country’s foreign policy. While the exact figure spent on the Prime Minister’s travel around the globe isn’t revealed, an
RTI or Right to Information Act filed by a retired defence personnel
Lokesh Batra is waiting for its approval at the
Central Information Commission (
CIC).
Batra had filed the RTI back in August last year. The Prime Minster’s office however refused to share the details saying these kind of data, if revealed, might be harmful for the PM’s security and safety, which it can never let happen.
However, CIC has requested for the appropriate papers to be submitted from the
PMO’s office on the expense. CIC is the final appellate authority for Right to Information Act and will address this question next month and decide if expenditure on PM's visits, process of clearing bills and chartering flights should be put in the public domain.
CIC would like to see which are the information that may create a threat to PM’s security.
The only information Batra received from the RTI filed is, "The aircraft for travel of PM is requisitioned from
Air India or
Indian Air Force keeping in consideration various logistical and security issues. After the completion of the visit, the bills received are forwarded to PMO for settlement.”
A determined Batra isn’t letting it go so easily. He has counter questioned and requested CIC to intervene saying PM’s travel bills don’t contain any sort of security details.
Transportation