Damodar Rout

Bhubaneswar, July 16: The accountant general has raised objections to the foreign tours of some ministers and diplomats.

Sources said two ministers, one former minister, three IAS officers and one IFS officer from the state had undertaken the tours and they did not have the required approval of the ministry of external affairs.

Objections were raised against the foreign trips of industry minister Debi Prasad Mishra, co-operative minister Damodar Rout, former minister of the revenue disaster management Surya Narayan Patro, IAS officers Saurav Garg, Satyabrata Sahu, R.S. Gopalan and IFS officer S.K. Chhadha.

At present, Garg and Sahu are on a central deputation.

In case of Mishra, who was also in the previous regime, the accountant general said the approval of the ministry of external affairs had not been obtained for his visit to the US between June 24, 2010 and July 7, 2010. The trip had cost the state Rs 1.58 lakh.

The accountant general said that though the foreign tour programme of the minister to the US was from June 25, 2010 to July 5, 2010, he had overstayed for three days up to July 8. The reason for such overstay was not furnished by the officials for scrutiny. It also pointed out that bills pertaining to Mishra’s visit to Israel from October 30, 2012 to November 7, 2012 were not available.

Rout, who was the health minister earlier, had visited China from April 25, 2010 to May 1, 2010. But, the travel bills were not made available for scrutiny.

Patro had visited the US as a minister between June 24, 2010 and July 7, 2010. The visit did not have the approval of the ministry of external affairs and he had overstayed in the US for six days.

Objections have been raised against director of the agriculture and food production Gopalan’s tour to Israel from October 30, 2012 to November 7, 2012.

The visits of Sahu, now a joint secretary with the Government of India, to Israel, Garg, a joint secretary at the Centre, to the US and horticulture director Chaddha to Israel, too, have invited objections.

The general administration department of the state government has asked the concerned officials and the minister’s office to comply with the objections raised by the comptroller and auditor general.