Mid-Day:
Mumbai: Sunday, 19 July 2015.
How expensive
is it to maintain the official residence of the Indian president? In an effort
to find an answer to the question, Jogeshwari resident Mansoor Darvesh filed a
RTI query in June seeking details about the upkeep of India’s biggest and most
prominent house. What he received was data surrounding Rashtrapati Bhawan’s
maintenance, the amount spent on 'allowances' for the President and telephone
bills.
The
‘allowances’ sum in the last three financial years has increased from Rs 30.96
crore in 2012-13, to Rs 41.96 crore in 2014-15. This amounts to a jump of
almost 33 per cent. The response read: Expenditure on President’s Secretariat
under Major Head-2012, Appropriation-Staff, Household and Allowances of the
President for the financial years 2012-2013, 2013-14 and 2014-15 is Rs 30.96
crore, Rs 38.70 crore and Rs 41.96 crores respectively’.
Darvesh’s
application also questioned strength of staff including secretaries, drivers
and cleaners at the Bhavan and President’s Secretariat. The reply revealed
that a total of 754 people are employed at the President’s secretariat. Nine
private secretaries, 27 drivers, 64 safaiwalas, and eight telephone operators
work at the Bhawan. In May, Rs 1.52 crore was spent on salaries. In the same
month, the telephone bill totaled Rs 5.06 lakh, while in April and March, the
amount touched Rs 5.06 lakh and 4.25 lakh respectively.
Regarding
funds spent on VVIP guests that the presidential palace routinely receives, the
RTI said, “No separate account is maintained. The expenditure in this regard is
incurred from the annual budget allotted to the household section of the
secretariat.”
Darvesh, 65,
who runs a mobile accessory store at Flora Fountain, claimed that some of his
queries, such as costs incurred for electricity and security staff members,
were left unanswered. He calculated that the annual sum spent on the Bhawan
would cross Rs 100 crore.
Explaining
the reason behind filing the RTI, Darvesh said, “Being an Indian citizen, I
have the right to know the amount of funds spent on the upkeep of the
Rashtrapati Bhawan. The amount spent increases every year. This list doesn’t
cover all expenses, though, but I am sure the total will cross Rs 100 crore.”
Sunday
mid-day sent a detailed e-mail to the press secretary of the President’s office
regarding the RTI, which went unanswered.
This is not
Darvesh’s first RTI query. In the last two years, he has filed a hundred. He
last hit the headlines earlier this year when the Prime Minister’s Office
withheld information in response to a RTI he filed on the number of delegates
that accompanied Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his foreign tours, and the sum
spent on these trips.
The
scattergood and sparing
When it comes
to international travel that cost the public exchequer dearly, former President
Pratibha Patil had the dubious distinction of record holder.
When it comes
to international travel that cost the public exchequer dearly, former President
Pratibha Patil had the dubious distinction of record holder. As President, she
spent Rs 205 crore on foreign travel,
and according to reports, this surpassed the record of all predecessors. She is
believed to have gone on 12 foreign tours and visited 22 countries. A P J Abdul Kalam, on the other hand, on
being appointed President, called up Dr Verghese Kurien, founder of Amul, and
asked, “Now that I have become the President of India, the government is going
to look after me till I am living; so what can I do with my savings and
salary?” (sic)
As President,
she spent Rs 205 crore on foreign travel, and according to reports, this
surpassed the record of all predecessors. She is believed to have gone on 12
foreign tours and visited 22 countries.
A P J
Abdul Kalam, on the
other hand, on being appointed President, called up Dr Verghese Kurien, founder
of Amul, and asked, “Now that I have become the President of India, the
government is going to look after me till I am living; so what can I do with my
savings and salary?” (sic)
.JPG)
.JPG)
