Kerala CM's overseas travel bills touch Rs 3.5 cr in 5 years

T'puram: The foreign travels of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan from Nov 2018 to July 2023 have cost the state exchequer Rs 3,56,62,485 in travel expenses. The actual expenditure, including accommodation and other overheads, could push the total well beyond Rs 4 crore, though detailed break-ups have not yet been made public.

The CM's travel expenses were revealed in an order issued by the finance department (budget wing) on May 2 as clarification sought by the accountant general on govt expenditures. The order, accessed by TOI, was issued to regularise either the additional expenditure incurred or funds left unspent. It forms part of the mandatory compliance mechanism, based on which the accountant general finalises the state's accounts for the previous financial year. In total, Vijayan has made 26 foreign trips since assuming office and spent 173 days abroad. This was confirmed by data released by the general administration (protocol) department under the CM's office in response to an RTI inquiry filed last year. The fact that his travel delegation included not only other ministers and officials but also his close family members had invited criticism.

The destinations included the United States (five visits), the United Arab Emirates (eight visits), the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Japan, South Korea, Norway, Cuba, Indonesia, Singapore and Bahrain. The US and the UAE were the most visited countries, with 87 days spent in the US alone, mainly for medical treatment at Mayo Clinic.

His first foreign visit as CM was to the UAE in 2016, followed by a five-day visit to Bahrain in 2017. In 2018, he undertook three visits to the US and one to the UAE. His 2019 itinerary included trips to the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, the UK, Japan and South Korea, besides two more visits to the UAE. After the pandemic pause in 2020 and 2021, he visited Norway and Cuba besides the US and UAE in 2022 and 2023.

Officials have claimed that these trips were necessary for investment promotion, official meetings and medical reasons.