Hitting out at lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung for seeking details of foreign tours undertaken by AAP Ministers, Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain on Wednesday said such visits by his party Ministers are comparatively less than that of their counterparts in other parts of the country.
Wondering since when the l-G has started scanning Ministers’ foreign tours, he dared Jung to also seek such details of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign visits.
last week, the l-G had directed General Administration Department of the Delhi Government to provide details of all foreign tours undertaken by AAP Ministers, their personal staff and other officials in the last 18 months.
Besides the duration of the stay and the expenditure incurred on foreign trips, the l-G’s office had also sought details of the “purpose” of the visits.
“Has he (Jung) also asked for details of foreign tours of Prime MinisterIJ Since when has he started checking Ministers’ foreign toursIJ
“Foreign tours are undertaken by AAP Ministers for only official purpose after the Government’s approval. We have travelled very less comparatively in the entire country. If we go abroad for personal purpose, we spend our money,” Jain, who is considered close to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, said.
Government officials said Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Jain have travelled abroad four times each on Government expenditure. labour Minister Gopal Rai, along with Jain, had been to Sweden on a five day-knowledge trip.
Officials, however, clarified that sacked minister Sandeep Kumar had travelled to the US with family privately.
On Tuesday, Kejriwal and Jain returned from the Vatican City, where they had gone to attend the cononisation of Mother Teresa.
Besides the duration of the stay and the expenditure incurred on foreign trips, the l-G's office had also sought details of the “purpose” of the visits.
“When I was in Vatican, I was looking after my departments' works through WhatsApp. AAP Ministers work all 365 days in a year. I work for 10 hours every day. In the previous Governments, Ministers used to come to office for only two hours once in a week,” Jain claimed.