StriKe Posted June 9, 2013 Posted June 9, 2013 A sum of over Rs. 642 crore has been incurred on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's air travels abroad in the last nine years. This information has been made public by the PMO as part of obligations under the mandatory proactive disclosure clause of the Right to Information Act. The information reveals that Singh undertook 67 travels since 2004 when he took over as PM, of which bills of five have not been received. The bills received from the rest 62 visits show that Rs. 642.45 crore was spent on air travel. The Central Information Commission, in a recent order, had directed the Cabinet Secretariat to make public expenses incurred on the travel of ministers and VVIPs because of "large public interest" in the matter. "We have been noticing a lot of public interest in the visit of such high dignitaries as the President, the Vice President and the Prime Minister of India. Quite often, one comes across RTI applications seeking similar information about these visits," Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Satyananda Mishra had said. Last year, the information accessed by PTI had revealed that former President Pratibha Patil had spent Rs. 223 crore on her visits abroad during her five years which triggered a debate on expenditure over VIP visits. The list of the Singh's visits shows maximum expenditure of Rs. 26.94 crore was incurred on his seven-day long visit to Mexico and Brazil in 2012 to attend G20 Summit and Rio+20 Summit respectively. This was followed by Rs. 22.70 crore spent on air travel to Washington DC, USA and Brazil in 2010 where he had gone to attend the Nuclear Security Summit, BRIC Summit and IBSA Summit. http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/prime-minister-s-air-travel-expenditure-for-last-nine-years-stands-at-rs-642-crore-377159 Trending now :giggle: https://twitter.com/search?q=%22Rs%20642%22&src=tren
zumi Posted June 9, 2013 Posted June 9, 2013 and what about the two monkeys, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi? how much public funds have been used on these two non-government officials for their holidays or is that classified?
zumi Posted June 9, 2013 Posted June 9, 2013 Not Rahul Gandhi @NotRahu1Gandhi 1h If Manmohan Singh had made all his air trips through Kingfisher Airlines, he would've single handedly pulled it out of losses. #Rs 642 :cantstop:
hhunaeh Posted June 9, 2013 Posted June 9, 2013 air travel bah!!damn fool, why doesn't he use google hangouts instead. That's what i do when i feel like meeting my friends.
CSK Fan Posted June 9, 2013 Posted June 9, 2013 So how does it compare with the PM of any other country?
hhunaeh Posted June 9, 2013 Posted June 9, 2013 Air Force One INDIA Here’s some news for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. In three months, he is getting a new office. What is more, he will be going places in it. And he will be better protected in it, have more elbow room, even play host to foreign visitors—all without even being on Indian soil. The fact is, the Indian Air Force, in whose craft the top dignitaries of the country fly, is getting a spanking new home in the sky for the Indian Prime Minister. The first of three ultra luxury transport aircraft, the Boeing Business Jets (BBJ), ordered for a whopping Rs 734 crore, will arrive in May to join the VVIP squadron of the IAF that ferries the President, Prime Minister and top Cabinet ministers. While the Indian version of Air Force One is being kept under wraps by IAF due to “security concerns”, the aircraft is known to be fitted with a secure satellite communication centre, an advanced missile warning system and deflecting shield, electronic counter measures and radar warning systems. This means that when the PM travels on official work, he will be able to conduct meetings, hold press conferences, catch a wink of sleep and remain in constant audio and visual touch with New Delhi without leaving his aircraft. “The Boeing Business Jet is a specially configured aircraft for VVIP comfort. Its interiors create a working environment befitting the VVIP’s official stature. More importantly , it is equipped with the latest self-protection suite, thus providing our VIPs the highest level of protection from any ground-based or airborne threat,” the Indian Air Force, tasked with maintaining and operating the VVIP fleet, says. While the older 737s do not have any self protection systems, the Embraer executive jets are reported to have limited protection against land-launched weapons and heat seeking missiles. The BBJs, on the other hand, have an “extremely efficient” missile protection suite and powerful electronic systems designed to confuse the incoming missile. The IAF refuses to share details, but the minimum systems on board will be an IR (Infra Red) sensor and jammer to track incoming missiles from a good distance to warn the pilot. This would also activate the counter measures unit that will dispense flares and decoys. Like the American Air Force One, the BBJ is also being fitted with electronic counter measures to jam enemy radars. The three BBJs have been specifically ordered to replace the Boeing 737-200s that were acquired in the 1980s for the use of the top dignitaries. Unlike the earlier craft with their limited resources, the BBJs have a range of close to 11,000 km and a maximum speed of 890 kmph. So they will be able to fly to most parts of the world without a refuelling stopover. This will be a massive change from the current lot of aircraft that fly VVIPs in the country. Both the Embraer executive jets and the Boeing 737s in the IAF’s inventory have a limited flying range and need to make numerous fuel stopovers during long flights. In fact, the Boeing 737s cannot even fly abroad due to outdated avionic systems and the lack of modern navigational aids. The arrival of the jets will also be a welcome relief for Air India as currently a regular commercial airliner has to be pulled out of service and “retrofitted” for VVIP duty whenever the President and Prime Minister fly abroad on tours. While the Embraers—five of them were purchased for over Rs 650 crore in 2003—can accommodate close to 20 passengers in a regular seating arrangement, the BBJ will carry more than twice that number in much more luxury. Once inside, the PM and his entourage will find a full-fledged flying office-cum-residence that can host up to 48 guests besides having a private bedroom for the VVIP, an executive office with Internet availability and secure communication connections. The 807 sq ft cabin has been customised with a stateroom and a separate meeting room, something that is inconceivable on the much smaller Embraer 135 Legacy jets that are used to transport VVIPs within the country and for short overseas hauls and the older generation Boeing 737-200s that fly dignitaries on the domestic circuit. While the three jets have already been delivered by Boeing to IAF in an unfurnished condition, the interiors of the aircraft are being customised at the PATS Aircraft completion center in Delaware, USA. “PATS will install an interior that includes a stateroom, meeting room, communications centre and seating for 48 passengers,” a Boeing statement said. The first of the BBJs, fitted with the highly classified missile avoidance systems and security suite, is currently being flight tested by the IAF in the US. After complete integration of the security package, the BBJ is expected to land at the Palam Airport—home to the IAF’s elite Communications Squadron responsible for air travel by VVIPs—by the the first week of May. The other two jets are expected to arrive later in the year. It is not only a luxury craft for Indian VVIPs. The BBJ is being used by close to a dozen countries, including Australia, South Africa, Argentina and Malaysia to fly their heads of state. However, it pales in comparison to the home in the sky of the American President. The Air Force One, a highly modified Boeing 747, is not only much larger but also had a virtually unlimited range as it can carry out air to air refuelling. Besides conference rooms, resting areas and the President’s residential quarters, the jumbo jet even has a gymnasium specially designed for long flights. The Indian Prime Minister’s needs perhaps do not warrant a gymnasium. But when he climbs aboard his new carrier, there will surely be a new kick in his steps.
Clarke Posted June 9, 2013 Posted June 9, 2013 Personal 737 will run the bills, not sure how high. The bigger drain is the Rashtrapati Bhavan, annual bill around Rs. 100 crore per year for a bloody ceremonial position.
Number Posted June 9, 2013 Posted June 9, 2013 and what about the two monkeys, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi? how much public funds have been used on these two non-government officials for their holidays or is that classified? How does it matter ? At least they are secular.
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