Since 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made several trips to foreign countries, the expenditure of which amounted to Rs 2,021 crore. The expenditure was incurred on chartered flights, maintenance of aircraft and hotline facilities. With more than a single visit to some countries, as many as 55 counties were visited by Modi in 48 foreign tours ever since he took over as Prime Minister in 2014. 

The countries that the Prime Minister visited between 2014 and 2018 are now among the top 10 countries which have provided India with the maximum Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) inflows. This fact came to light when Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh listed out these 10 countries replying to Rajya Sabha on queries regarding this issue.

Expenditure on Modi’s foreign visits

The minister further mentioned that the FDI growth grew from USD 30,930.5 million in 2014 to USD 43478.27 million in 2017.

On the other hand, data revealed that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s expenditure of foreign trips amounted to Rs 1,346 crore on chartered flights, maintenance of aircraft and hotline facilities from 2009-2010 till 2013-2014 during the UPA-II regime. Singh revealed these details during a discussion on Manmohan Singh’s foreign tours during 2009-2014, which was his second term as Prime Minister.

Reportedly, with reported visits, Modi’s tally of the number of countries he has visited in the last four years is 93, while former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited a total of 93 countries, including repeated visits in his two terms i.e. 10 years, reported India Today.

Although Singh did not provide details about hotline facilities expenditure during foreign tours that Modi went for during 2017-2018 and 2018-2019, reported Hindustan Times.

While in 2014-2015, the cost of Modi’s chartered flights to overseas destinations was Rs 93.76 crore, it was Rs 117.89 crore in 2015-2016. On the other hand, in 2016-2017, the expenditure amounted to Rs 76.27 crore, it was Rs 99.32 crore in 2017-2018. In 2018-19 till December 3, the expenditure on chartered flights has been Rs 42.01 crore.

Further, Singh said that between 2014 and June 2018 the  FDI inflows stood at USD 136,077.75 million, while between 2011 and 2014, it stood at  USD 81,843.71 million.

From Taxpayers money

On December 3, Thursday, while responding to the question raised by a Member of Parliament on Modi’s abroad trip, Minister of State for External Affairs V.K Singh provided the details of Modi’s trips between June 15, 2014, and December 3, 2018, in the Rajya Sabha.

The detailed report that has been provided includes a break up on the money spent on each trip. It has been divided into three categories and has given an account of money spent from June 2014 to June 2018. According to the report, a sum of Rs 1,583.18 crore was spent on maintenance of the PM’s aircraft, followed by Rs 429.28 was spent to hire chartered flights and for the hotline facilities Rs 9.12 crore was paid by the government. However, the cost of a secure hotline (Point-to-point communication link) from May 2017 to December 2018 has not been provided by the minister, reported Scroll.

Minister from Communist Party of India, MP Binoy Viswam previously had asked Singh to provide for the number and names of countries that PM Modi has visited since he came to power in 2014. He had also asked for the list of names of the ministers who had accompanied PM Modi during the abroad visits. Further, Viswam has also sought for the details of agreements signed by Modi, and the amount paid to Air India for his travel.

Also Read: Since 2014 PM Modi’s Foreign Trips Have Cost Taxpayers Over Rs 2,000 Cr