The trend of the caretaker ministers going on “unproductive” domestic trips has rather increased despite the PMO making public details of their travel and accommodation expenses to exert moral pressure on them. [break]
Following the ministers´ reckless reimbursement claims, the PMO decided to make public at the end of every month the expenses they have incurred on “unproductive” trips.
“The trend of futile trips by the ministers and reimbursement claims from state coffers hasn´t been controlled. It is still rife,” PMO Secretary Leela Mani Paudyal told Republica.
According to the PMO, ministers have already spent six million rupees on "unproductive" domestic trips over a period of three months in the ongoing fiscal year, in violation of the PMO directive. This is the first time ever that the PMO has made such details public.
Document shows that Local Development Minister Purna Kumar Sherma, Land Reforms and Management Minister Damber Shrestha, Health Minister Umakanta Chaudhary, Industry Minister Mahendra Prasad Yadav, Minister without Portfolio Laxman Lal Karna and Youth and Sports Minister Ganesh Tiwari Nepali are in the list of those making frequent futile trips.
They have submitted their bills at the PMO even though their previous trips and expense details were publicly exposed.
Similarly, State Minister for Health Khadka Bahadur Basyal Sarki and State Minister for General Administration Jeet Bahadur Darjee Gautam are also found to have made “unproductive” trips. They sought reimbursement even after the PMO exposed their past expenses.
The PMO is currently reviewing the reimbursement claims as these don´t seem to be genuine, says a PMO source. The PMO temporarily denied reimbursement for the bills of half a dozen ministers, citing that they failed to produce evidence.
A month ago, the PMO had re-circulated a directive to all ministers, asking them to furnish evidence of their domestic trips to claim reimbursement of expenses. As per the directive, ministers are required to show evidence including information as to where, when and why they made such trips.
The PMO had also warned ministers that it would not reimburse expenses if their trips are found to have been made with personal or political objectives.
PMO officials said that they are shocked to receive bills incurred during ministerial trips for inaugurating temples, inspecting various offices in the districts and the like. “No one can term the trip warranted if a minister inaugurates a temple and claims reimbursement from state coffers,” the source added.
Previously, the PMO had temporarily refused to reimburse expenses incurred by Education Minister Sarvendra Nath Shukla for trips to Kaski and Dang districts. Other ministers whose bills the PMO has refused to reimburse include Supply Minister Rajendra Mahato, Finance Minister Surendra Pandey, Irrigation Minister Balkrishna Khand, Culture Minister Minendra Rijal, Peace Minister Rakam Chemjong, Labor Minister Mohammad Aftab Alam, Land Reforms Minister Damber Shrestha, Industry Minister Mahendra Prasad Yadav and Agriculture Minister Mrigendra Kumar Singh.
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