Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has toured 18 countries in last ten years costing the State Exchequer over `43 lakh but could sign only one Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a foreign Institute during this period.
Assam Agriculture Minister Nilamoni Sen Deka told this to the State legislative Assembly during the first day of the five-day Winter Session of the House that started on Monday. Deka was replying to the question on behalf of the Chief Minister.
According to the details submitted to the House, the Chief Minister has visited 18 countries since he assumed the office in 2001 and most of his official foreign tours took place in last ten years.
The foreign tours cost the State Exchequer of `43,44,353, Deka said, adding that he had visited Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Canada, UK, Italy, Sri lanka, USA, China, Switzerland, France, Bhutan, Spain, Bangladesh, Belgium, South Korea, Japan and Thailand during the period.
The Chief Minister during one of his visits to the USA signed a MoU with The Earth Institute of the Columbia University and the Assam State Disaster Management Authority. Gogoi had started his official foreign tours in 2004 by visiting Indonesia and Singapore in 2004 at the cost of `1,55,466. This followed a visit to Canada, UK and Italy in 2006 costing about `6,72,286 in 2006. The same year, Gogoi visited Sri lanka that incurred an expenditure of `75,231.
In 2007, the Assam Chief Minister visited the United Kingdom and made two visits to the United States at a cost of `8,76,176. Gogoi also visited China twice in 2008 costing about `18,900.
Gogoi visited South Korea, Spain, Belgium, Bangladesh, Bhutan, UK, Switzerland and France in 2011 costing the State exchequer `11,10,129. The Chief Minister had visited USA, Japan and Vietnam in 2012 costing `9,51,131. last year, Gogoi visited Thailand, UK and Singapore spending `4,85,054.
The Agriculture Minister further said that the Chief Minister had also visited some other countries but those were on his personal accounts and personal reasons. Gogoi, who led the Congress to electoral victory in 2001, continued his run of form in the State Assembly elections in 2006 and 2011 and became the Chief Minister of the State for three consecutive terms.