Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) is executing developmental projects worth thousands of crores in the MMR region comprising of Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Palghar & Raigad districts. In the name of project execution the MMRDA has spent almost Rs 4.29 crores in air travel for which a major chunk comprises of travel on 'Study Tours' by Ministers, Bureaucrats like Chief Secretary, UD Secretary, General Manager of BEST, and surprisingly even PA's of Ministers. This startling information came to light in a reply to RTI Activist Anil Galgali.
RTI Activist Anil Galgali had filed an RTI query with the MMRDA seeking information about the expenses incurred by it on domestic and international air travel on 23, June, 2014, which was responded to on 11, February, 2015. Desk Officer Shri V G Shinde provided the information prepared by the aaccount dept, which detailed that, since 1st April 2001 to31st March 2014 MMRDA spent Rs 1 Crore 42 lakhs 38 thousand 431 on domestic air travel for 626 occasions like meetings, study tours or other reasons. MMRDA also spent Rs 2 crore 86 lakhs 35 thousand 303 for International travel for 39 trips associated with same reasons.
The 39 foreign jaunts comprised of MMRDA officials,Chief Minister, State Ministers, Chief Secretary,Urban development Secretary, Commissioner Bmc GM BEST, and PA of Minister.
The highest spending in a single trip for only air tickets was Rs 49,18,547, which was done during a Study Tour to Comprehensive Transport Study Programme (CTS) was undertaken from 13th November 2005 to 26th November 2005 for 14 days to Malaysia, China, Canada, USA, Japan, Shanghai, Tokyo & Toronto, which included Ministers of State Rajesh Tope, Sunil Deshmukh, Rajendra Shingne, UD Secretary Ramanand Tiwari & Sanjay Ubale, BEST GM Swadheen Kshatriya, Dy Secretary Sudhakar Nagnure, Dr T Chandrashekhar, PRK Murthy, and PA to UD MOS C S Thorat. After this a tour to Switzerland, Sweden, France & Germany was undertaken by MOS Rajesh Tope, Mumbai Mayor Shubha Raul, Secretary to CM CS Sangitrao, Dy Secretary Suresh Kakani, Shankar Deshpande and also political corporators, Ashish Shelar & Rajesh Singh, this study tour costed Rs 49,07,687 on air tickets only and was undertaken to study Urban Planning, Traffic & Transportation & Urban development. Similarly Chief Minister Ashok Chavan along with Chief Secretary J P Dange, PA Nitin Kareer and Principal Secretary UD T C Benjamin 10 days trip to USA,Malaysia and Singapore ( 12th June to 21st June 2010) costed Rs 43,34,177 and was undertaken to attend Desalination Plant, Monorail plan inspection, City and Urban planning tour.
MMRDA Commissioner Rahul Asthana & Addl Commissioner Ashwini Bhide's 3 day trip to London (24th Nov to 26th Nov 2011) costed Rs 20,34,517 and was undertaken to attend a conference on Infrastructural Finance. Apart from this a trip to Washington and London was organised as study tour as well as attending the Transport Forum and Study Tour costing Rs 19,89,836 comprising of Principal Secretary UD Benjamin, Addl Commissioner MMRDA Smt Ashwini Bhide, SVR Srinivasan & PRK Murthy. Also in Washington, MMRDA Commissioner Ajit Warty & MUTP Project Director UPS Madan undertook an 8 day trip for MUTP project coordination and understandings along with UD Principal Secretary Ramanand Tiwari in 2002 costing Rs 5,73,794. Afterwards a study trip of 14 days was undertaken to Kuala Lampur, Bangkok & Singapore costing RS 7,66,460 comprising of Dr T Chandrashekhar, PRK Murthy, UD Principal Secretary Ramanand Tiwari & Ex MMRDA Commissioner A K Mago. There were also singular trips undertaken by Ratnakar Gaikwad ( London), Rahul Asthana (Italy, Greece, Osaka), SVR Srinivasan ( London), Dilip Kawathkar (Frankfurt), Smt Vijayalakshmi (US), S B Pardeshi (Rotterdam), Uma Adusumili ( Japan), A R Wankhede ( China, Hongkong), R C Dohore (China, Kuala Lampur, Malaysia), Sharad Varaskar ( Seoul, Korea). The trips by these officals from the Finance, Legal & Technical advisers with study tour for Noise barriers and better air quality raise suspicions.
MMRDA Commissioner's have undertaken and organised foreign jaunts for persons not connected to MMRDA as if a village feast is generally organised. Ministers and officers not connected with MMRDA along with their PA's too have enjoyed this largess alleged Anil Galgali. RTI Activist Anil Galgali in a letter addressed to CM Devendra Fadanavis & MMRDA Commissioner UPS Madan has demanded an inquiry in the foreign trips undertaken, he also stated that when for domestic travel the Railways & the ST have a very good service and network, which is also cheaper then why was crores of public money wasted in air travel?. Also in the era of IT, there are services like Video conferencing technology being ignored in MMRDA, which is widely utilized by corporates to save valuable time and money, why is such options not utilized by MMRDA for domestic and international meetings? Anil Galgali also demanded from the govt, that in future the domestic and international air travel be restricted and other options be utilized to save public money and time.
RTI Activist Anil Galgali had filed an RTI query with the MMRDA seeking information about the expenses incurred by it on domestic and international air travel on 23, June, 2014, which was responded to on 11, February, 2015. Desk Officer Shri V G Shinde provided the information prepared by the aaccount dept, which detailed that, since 1st April 2001 to31st March 2014 MMRDA spent Rs 1 Crore 42 lakhs 38 thousand 431 on domestic air travel for 626 occasions like meetings, study tours or other reasons. MMRDA also spent Rs 2 crore 86 lakhs 35 thousand 303 for International travel for 39 trips associated with same reasons.
The 39 foreign jaunts comprised of MMRDA officials,Chief Minister, State Ministers, Chief Secretary,Urban development Secretary, Commissioner Bmc GM BEST, and PA of Minister.
The highest spending in a single trip for only air tickets was Rs 49,18,547, which was done during a Study Tour to Comprehensive Transport Study Programme (CTS) was undertaken from 13th November 2005 to 26th November 2005 for 14 days to Malaysia, China, Canada, USA, Japan, Shanghai, Tokyo & Toronto, which included Ministers of State Rajesh Tope, Sunil Deshmukh, Rajendra Shingne, UD Secretary Ramanand Tiwari & Sanjay Ubale, BEST GM Swadheen Kshatriya, Dy Secretary Sudhakar Nagnure, Dr T Chandrashekhar, PRK Murthy, and PA to UD MOS C S Thorat. After this a tour to Switzerland, Sweden, France & Germany was undertaken by MOS Rajesh Tope, Mumbai Mayor Shubha Raul, Secretary to CM CS Sangitrao, Dy Secretary Suresh Kakani, Shankar Deshpande and also political corporators, Ashish Shelar & Rajesh Singh, this study tour costed Rs 49,07,687 on air tickets only and was undertaken to study Urban Planning, Traffic & Transportation & Urban development. Similarly Chief Minister Ashok Chavan along with Chief Secretary J P Dange, PA Nitin Kareer and Principal Secretary UD T C Benjamin 10 days trip to USA,Malaysia and Singapore ( 12th June to 21st June 2010) costed Rs 43,34,177 and was undertaken to attend Desalination Plant, Monorail plan inspection, City and Urban planning tour.
MMRDA Commissioner Rahul Asthana & Addl Commissioner Ashwini Bhide's 3 day trip to London (24th Nov to 26th Nov 2011) costed Rs 20,34,517 and was undertaken to attend a conference on Infrastructural Finance. Apart from this a trip to Washington and London was organised as study tour as well as attending the Transport Forum and Study Tour costing Rs 19,89,836 comprising of Principal Secretary UD Benjamin, Addl Commissioner MMRDA Smt Ashwini Bhide, SVR Srinivasan & PRK Murthy. Also in Washington, MMRDA Commissioner Ajit Warty & MUTP Project Director UPS Madan undertook an 8 day trip for MUTP project coordination and understandings along with UD Principal Secretary Ramanand Tiwari in 2002 costing Rs 5,73,794. Afterwards a study trip of 14 days was undertaken to Kuala Lampur, Bangkok & Singapore costing RS 7,66,460 comprising of Dr T Chandrashekhar, PRK Murthy, UD Principal Secretary Ramanand Tiwari & Ex MMRDA Commissioner A K Mago. There were also singular trips undertaken by Ratnakar Gaikwad ( London), Rahul Asthana (Italy, Greece, Osaka), SVR Srinivasan ( London), Dilip Kawathkar (Frankfurt), Smt Vijayalakshmi (US), S B Pardeshi (Rotterdam), Uma Adusumili ( Japan), A R Wankhede ( China, Hongkong), R C Dohore (China, Kuala Lampur, Malaysia), Sharad Varaskar ( Seoul, Korea). The trips by these officals from the Finance, Legal & Technical advisers with study tour for Noise barriers and better air quality raise suspicions.
MMRDA Commissioner's have undertaken and organised foreign jaunts for persons not connected to MMRDA as if a village feast is generally organised. Ministers and officers not connected with MMRDA along with their PA's too have enjoyed this largess alleged Anil Galgali. RTI Activist Anil Galgali in a letter addressed to CM Devendra Fadanavis & MMRDA Commissioner UPS Madan has demanded an inquiry in the foreign trips undertaken, he also stated that when for domestic travel the Railways & the ST have a very good service and network, which is also cheaper then why was crores of public money wasted in air travel?. Also in the era of IT, there are services like Video conferencing technology being ignored in MMRDA, which is widely utilized by corporates to save valuable time and money, why is such options not utilized by MMRDA for domestic and international meetings? Anil Galgali also demanded from the govt, that in future the domestic and international air travel be restricted and other options be utilized to save public money and time.
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