For personal trip permission has to be obtained from the Centre
If invite is from foreign country, permission is required from External Affairs Ministry, PMO and Home Ministry
TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Facing heat over the Brazil junket of ministers and MLAs Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, told media after a cabinet meeting it was decided that all Goa government sponsored trips had to meet certain criteria before they were cleared. The chief secretary has been instructed on formulating those criteria, he informed.
“I believe exposure to lawmakers is a must. It helps him understand, know what is going on in the world. But unwarranted expenditure is not welcome and wastage of money is not to be tolerated,” the chief minister told the media, on Wednesday.
He said that the cabinet had met to discuss the issue of foreign trips.
“I told CS to draw up a list of criteria to be met,” he said. Giving details, Parrikar said that various options were also discussed on various types of trips.
According to the chief minister, for a personal trip, permission had to be obtained from the Centre and if an invitation comes from a foreign country then permission is required from the External Affairs Ministry, the PMO and the Home Ministry.
However, he was categorical that if someone from India was sponsoring this trip he had some serious reservations on the same.
“I strongly object to this trip. It is an indirect way of keeping you happy,” he said.
According to the chief minister, for a central government trip, no permission is required while for Goa government trip, five to six criteria will be listed.
“If it meets the criteria then the Goa government will allow it,” he said, adding “provided it is for an useful purpose.”
