Sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra is on a hunger strike ever since he challenged AAP leaders to declare source of funding for their foreign trips. An RTI activist has come up with some answers he has been looking for.

The activist has culled out details of AAP leaders' foreign trips. Delhi government records show Manish Sisodia and Satyender Jain made the highest number of foreign trips, while Arvind Kejriwal visited only Rome.

Interestingly official records show the funding for the trips were done by various Delhi government departments. But there remains a cloud on some of the foreign trips undertaken by AAP leaders. The RTI reply doesn't furnish details of all the funding of those trips.

Sanjeev Jain, an RTI activist has come up with information which could provide answers to many of Mishra's questions. In the RTI reply received by Jain, Deputy CM Sisodia and Jain are on top of the list of foreign tours made during 2015-17. He has demanded that agencies should probe some of the tours as they are doubtful in nature.

Mishra has already lodged a complaint with CBI that AAP leaders foreign tour funding should be thoroughly probed. Delhi government spokesperson Nagendra Sharma said: "All Delhi government tours go through scrutiny of MEA and MHA. All the foreign trips have been duly cleared and accounted for."

FOREIGN TRIPS

However as per the RTI reply, Sisodia visited Athens, Brazil, Australia, London and Finland. He visited Athens in 2015 to attend the Global Water Summit which is the annual conference organized by the Global Water Leaders Group to discuss water related issues. He was accompanied by CEO Jal Board Vijay Kumar and his secretary C Aravind. The tour bill of unspecified amount was arranged by Delhi Jal Board.

Sisodia then visited Brazil along with Secretary TTE/Education, Puniya Srivastava, director TTE Manoj Kumar, Dy director TTE Suman Dhawan and secretary C Aravind, this tour was arranged by TTE department; however Rs 6,10,640 was spent on Dy CM which was to be paid by GAD.

During his Australia tour he was accompanied by Secretary (P) Finance SN Sahai and his secretary C Aravind. The purpose of visit was to study VAT/GST systems followed there. An amount of Rs 11,07,475 was spent for the tour.

This tour was followed by London trip for participation in the politics panel in a day-long conference by London School of Economics at a cost of Rs 12,14,747. It is not specified which department had paid those bills.

Finally he went to Finland along with Education & TTE officials for understanding German dual vocational training system. The RTI reply says the tour was arranged by TTE department, however money spent on Dy CM was to be paid by GAD.

Jain comes second on the list. He visited Manchester, Sweden, Malyasia, Thailand. In Manchester he went in 2015 to attend NHS Expo and meetings with stakeholders and policy makers who could address the requirement and interests of Delhi government. An amount of Rs 7,83,403 was spent on this trip. DDC chairman Ashish Khaitan also accompanied him on this trip.

Then Jain went on a study visit to Sweden with officials from various departments for the purpose of studying sustainable urban development. An amount of Rs 9,62,186 was spent on this tour. It is not specified who paid the bill. This trip was followed by visit to Malaysia to visit elevated BRT corridor at a cost of Rs 4,22,467, again not specified which department paid the bill.

In January 2017 he went to Thailand along with former health secretary Tarun Seem, who is being probed by CBI for alleged irregularities in hiring of security firms in Delhi Government Hospitals and other officials. The purpose of Thailand visit is not clear. The reply states the visit was to attend the conference the Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at Central World in Bangkok, Thailand. The cost incurred for this trip was Rs 77,889.

ONE TRIP FOR CM

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal only visited Rome, Italy in 2016 to attend the celebration for the Canonization of Mother Teresa. An amount of Rs 15,99,710 was spent on this tour. CM was also accompanied by Satyender Jain and Baibhav Kumar.

Minister Imran Hussain visited Doha, Qatar to attend 96th Jamia Foundation Day in Doha but it is not specified how much money was spent and who paid the bills for the tour.

Watch Video: AAP crisis: Former Delhi minister Kapil Mishra attacked outside his home

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