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• Dec 10, 2022 | Guriya Khatun

According to the data, the prime minister spent a maximum of Rs 23,27,09,000 on his trip to the US from September 21 to September 28 and a minimum of Rs 23,86,536 on his journey to Japan from September 26 to September 28.

Digital Desk: According to information presented by the government in Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's travel expenses reached a little over Rs 239 crore over the previous five years.

The highest level of India's international partners now better comprehend India's viewpoints on local and global concerns, according to Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan.

"The prime minister's tours overseas have been intended to enhance deeper ties with foreign nations and India's involvement at regional and global levels," he said.

Muraleedharan was responding to a query in the Rajya Sabha about the trips of the prime minister in the previous five years, their results, and specifics of the costs associated with each of the visits.

Such visits, according to the minister, are a crucial way for India to advance its foreign policy goals and protect its national interests.

According to him, "understandings reached during these visits have enabled India to strengthen relationships with partner countries, present India's viewpoint, and shape the global agenda on global issues such as reformed multilateralism, climate change, transnational crime, terrorism, cyber-security, etc.

Muraleedharan responded in writing, detailing Modi's travel, which began with his three-trip excursion to the Philippines in November 2017.

He provided information on the makeup of the delegations that travelled with the prime minister on each of the 36 occasions, and he provided financial information for 31 of the visits.

Nine of the 36 journeys featured Modi visiting two or more different nations, according to the details.

According to the minister, the Ministry of Home Affairs' budget director covered the costs associated with the prime minister's trips to Bangladesh (March 26–27, 2021), the US (September 22–26, 2021), Italy (October 29–November 2, 2021), and the UK (November 1–2, 2021).

One of the five trips whose expenses were not listed in the list was the one involving these three visits. He also travelled to Nepal in May of this year and Bhutan in August of last year.

According to the figures, Rs 239,04,08,625 was spent altogether on the 31 trips.

The records show that the prime minister spent a maximum of Rs 23,27,09,000 on his trip to the US from September 21 to September 28 of this year and a minimum of Rs 23,86,536 on his travel to Japan from September 26 to September 28 of this year.