In response to RTI query filed by NL Sawarkar, secretary of Jan Samasya Sangharsh Niwaran Samiti, the NMC spent Rs 10, 87,765 to pay for air fares of the then municipal commissioner Aseem Gupta. Gupta admitted he travelled frequently during his tenure in NMC.
He said, "I do not have records of how many trips I made but due to such travelling, I could fetch over Rs 1,800 crore worth of works under JNNURM for city." Sawarkar said when Gupta took over as municipal commissioner he had assured to strengthen and streamline the city's public transport. He had also spent almost Rs 50,000 on five air trips for holding meetings about city transport issue.
Still, the system had not been streamlined. Sawarkar said though Gupta was entitled to travel by airlines for urgent works, he also took expensive air transport for attending court hearing in Aurangabad, and for attending Internet service network workshop at Chennai, and meeting on e-governance at Pune which could have been done by train. The activist claimed Gupta spent Rs 1.30 lakh on a trip for attending metro region planning meeting at Dubai while reminding that this was a period of austerity drive.
"At a time when even ministers travelled by train for scheduled programmes, Gupta never did so. He also did not use aids like video conferencing. This when NMC always pleads lack of funds for everything. Mayor Archana Dehankar, deputy MayorShekahar Sawarbandhe and officials like Gupta are responsible for spending tax payer's money on expensive trips, official vehicles and other having a number of peons and drivers," he added
He said, "I do not have records of how many trips I made but due to such travelling, I could fetch over Rs 1,800 crore worth of works under JNNURM for city." Sawarkar said when Gupta took over as municipal commissioner he had assured to strengthen and streamline the city's public transport. He had also spent almost Rs 50,000 on five air trips for holding meetings about city transport issue.
Still, the system had not been streamlined. Sawarkar said though Gupta was entitled to travel by airlines for urgent works, he also took expensive air transport for attending court hearing in Aurangabad, and for attending Internet service network workshop at Chennai, and meeting on e-governance at Pune which could have been done by train. The activist claimed Gupta spent Rs 1.30 lakh on a trip for attending metro region planning meeting at Dubai while reminding that this was a period of austerity drive.
"At a time when even ministers travelled by train for scheduled programmes, Gupta never did so. He also did not use aids like video conferencing. This when NMC always pleads lack of funds for everything. Mayor Archana Dehankar, deputy MayorShekahar Sawarbandhe and officials like Gupta are responsible for spending tax payer's money on expensive trips, official vehicles and other having a number of peons and drivers," he added
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