Ministers’ jaunts ridicule govt's austerity vows

Even as the government has approved a special directive through the cabinet vowing to check unnecessary expenditure, one-third of the ministers of the current cabinet have left the country on foreign junkets putting great pressure on exchequer, reports Nepal Samacharpatra daily.

Eight ministers are currently on foreign visits.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ is currently in New York – his third foreign visit since he became prime minister – to attend UN general assembly. He is leading one dozen member delegation there.

Foreign Ministry sources reveal that the PM is entitled to $ 360 as daily allowance on foreign visits. He is accompanied by his wife Sita and son Prakash, who both are entitled to $ 210 as daily allowance from state coffers.

Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav has also left for New York on Wednesday. He is leading a four member delegation.

Information and Communication Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara is in North Korea.

Defense Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’ is in China while Youth and Sports Minister Gopal Shakya is in Ajarbaihan.

Culture Minister Gopal Kirati has left for Hong Kong. Agriculture Minister Jaya Prakash Gupta and Law Minister Dev Gurung have gone to India.

Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Hisila Yami returned, on Wednesday, from the United Kingdom. Each minister is entitled to $ 210 as daily allowance on foreign visit. nepalnews.com sd Sep 26 08