President of India Pratibha Patil’s four day visit to Goa in January this year was an official one and not a private trip. This has been revealed in information furnished under the Right to Information Act by the Goa Government’s Protocol Department.
It may be recalled that Government sources in January had stated that President Pratibha Patil’s visit to Goa from 3rd January to 6th January was purely a private trip. It has now been revealed that the Goa Government was informed about the President’s visit only on 1st January 2011, just two days prior to her arrival. A total expenditure of Rs 14, 18, 772 was incurred by the Protocol department of the Goa Government on the President Pratibha Patil’s 4 day visit to Goa. This does not include the expenses on the dinner hosted by Goa Governor Dr. S.S.Sidhu on January 5th in honour of President Patil. President Pratibha Patil was accompanied on her trip to Goa by her husband Dr. Devisingh Shekhawat, her daughter Jyoti Rathore, grand daughter Vedika Rathore and a total of 36 personal staff. While Rs 3, 20,250 was spent on the lodging and boarding expenses at Cidade de Goa for the members of the President’s entourage, a further amount of Rs 1, 29,915 was spent on the lodging and boarding of those housed at the International centre. A total of Rs 6, 23,188 was spent on vehicles hired from Goa Tourism Development Corporation to be used by the President’s entourage. Rs 2, 01,220 was spent on the lunch and visit by the President Pratibha Patil to Taj Exotica at Benaulim on 4th January. The lunch hosted on 6th January by Chief Minister Mr. Digambar Kamat at Cidade de Goa in honour of President Patil cost the exchequer Rs 1,19,999. While Rs 20,000 was spent on the boat ride, Para sailing and Jet Ski organized for President Patil at Benaulim beach, a cost of Rs 4,400 on flowers offered to her. Though President Patil was on a private holiday to Goa her visit was sought to be shown as official so that the expenditure could be charged to the State exchequer. If the trip was official the authorities should explain what was the official purpose of President Pratibha Patil’s 4 day visit to Goa. Such unnecessary trips and extravagant expenditure should stop. Besides being a very unjust burden on the State exchequer it is also an inconvenience to the public at large because of traffic jams caused by such visits. Aires Rodrigues T1 - B30, Ribandar Retreat Ribandar - Goa - 403006 Mobile: 9822684372
