Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.

THE ANDHRA Pradesh government has sanctioned Rs 22.5 lakh to be paid to an Israeli firm to arrange security for Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy during his four-day “personal” trip to Jerusalem starting Thursday, according to an official order.

The expenditure comes at a time when the YSRCP leader, who stormed to power in the Assembly elections two months ago, has been advocating austerity measures in the cash-strapped state.

On July 31, the state’s General Administration Department (GAD) issued an order to release Rs 22,52,500 for the Chief Minister’s security for his visit from August 1 to 4. The order states that the amount is to be paid to Rehovot-based Triple S Tours and Travels through Airtravel Enterprises India Ltd.

“Tour of Sri Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, to Jerusalem, Israel from 01-08-2019 to 04-08-2019 on personal reasons — Sanction of an amount of Rs 22,52,500 towards security arrangements to Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh in Israel,” the order states.

It states that the amount has been sanctioned on an “invoice from Triple S Tours and Travels, 96, Herzel, St, Rehovot, Israel for an amount of US$ 30,591 for making security arrangements”.

The latest order follows a set of three separate government orders issued over the last two months that earmarked funds for domestic logistics and security for the Chief Minister.

On June 26, a Government Order (No.133) sanctioned Rs 1.89 crore to strengthen his security, including Rs 75 lakh for permanent barricading and Rs 40 lakh for a helipad, fencing and approach road near his residence at Tadepalli in Guntur.

On June 25, through another order (GO No. 132), Rs 5 crore was sanctioned to widen a 1.30-km road connecting Jagan’s residence with NH 16. Opposition TDP leaders, including Nara Lokesh, had termed this expense as “a burden on the exchequer”.

On July 22, through GO No. 160, the government sanctioned Rs 24.5 lakh to provide security at Jagan’s Lotus Pond residence in Hyderabad’s Banjara Hills. Jagan shifted to his new residence at Tadepalli on June 22, but stays at the Lotus Pond address when he visits Hyderabad.

When contacted, Andhra Chief Secretary L V Subramanyam said the state paying for a CM’s security arrangements abroad is “not new”. “Our security officers, even if they accompany the CM, are not allowed to carry firearms, or undertake surveillance. For this reason, the arrangements have to be assigned to an agency at the place visited by the CM,’’ he said.

On the other expenditure, Subramanyam said they were part of the development master plan for Tadepalli village.

Jagan is visiting Israel after a gap of three years, and the latest visit will be his first trip abroad after becoming Chief Minister. Jagan’s father and former Chief Minister, the late Y S Rajashekar Reddy, used to be a regular visitor to Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

According to officials, the Andhra CM is expected to make another personal trip this month — to the US to admit his daughter to a university. Jagan and his wife Bharathi are likely to visit the US from August 16, they said.

On July 30, the CBI Special Court granted permission to Jagan to go abroad from August 1 to 25. Jagan is out on bail in a disproportionate assets case that is being heard in the CBI court, and the bail condition requires him to take permission before travelling abroad.

On Thursday, Jagan arrived in Hyderabad from Vijayawada on a special flight on his way to Israel. Before catching a flight to Tel Aviv, he met Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to discuss the agenda for a meeting with the Centre over the Godavari water-sharing issue. After returning from Israel, Jagan is scheduled to visit New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Home Minister Amit Shah to seek funds and aid for Andhra Pradesh.

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