Ministers spend Rs 11 crore on travel! Sorake tops with Rs 75 lakh

Belagavi: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his cabinet colleagues have spent a whopping  Rs 11 crore on travel since the Congress government came to power in the state 32 months ago, going by information provided in reply to a question by RTI activist from Belagavi, Bheemappa Gadad.

In fact, several cabinet ministers claim to have spent over Rs 6000 a day on travel, the government has admitted in its reply.  Speaking to reporters on Tuesday,  Mr Gadad charged the ministers with squandering public money and said he would soon complain to the chief secretary about their huge travel expenses and also demand a debate  in the state assembly.

"I want to know what work these ministers have done while doing so much travel?" Mr Gadad asked. Ministers, who are given a car and driver, get paid Rs 30 for every km  travelled,  besides  Rs 2000 as special allowance a day and Rs 5000 for a day's stay while travelling.

The RTI information reveals that Mr Siddaramaiah himself claimed Rs 40.03 lakh as travel allowance.  But topping the ministers is Urban Development Minister, Vinaykumar Sorake, who was paid Rs 75.89 lakh for travel expenses over the last 32 months.

Mr Sorke has  on an average claimed Rs 7850 as  allowance every day. Health Minister, U.T. Khadar comes next with a travel allowance claim of  Rs 70.23 lakh, followed by Forest Minister, Ramanath Rai , who received Rs 67.99 lakh towards travel expenses.   

Textile Minister, Baburao Chinchansur too has claimed Rs 66.33 lakh.
Minister for Cooperatives,  H S Mahadev Prasad has, however, claimed a paltry Rs 7.98 lakh. Only ministers, G Parameshwar, K J George and H S Mahadev Prasad have made no claim at all towards TA  during the financial year 2015-16.