CM Bommai's Davos trip with jumbo entourage cost exchequer Rs 9.23 cr

A 15-member delegation comprising Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, two ministers, their private secretaries, officials and a few private individuals cost the exchequer Rs 9.23 crore during their 5-day visit to the World Economic Forum at Davos recently.

Bommai’s Davos trip resulted in Karnataka signing investment deals worth Rs 60,000 crore.

According to documents accessed under RTI, the government spent Rs 5 crore towards rent for the Karnataka pavilion space and its design at Davos.

Travel tickets cost Rs 73.22 lakh. Also, Rs 4.99 lakh of dearness allowance (DA) was paid to members of the delegation.

The 52nd World Economic Forum meeting was held between May 22 and 26 at Davos in Switzerland.

Bommai, Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani, IT/BT Minister C N Ashwath Narayan, nine officials and three private individuals, including a PR agency representative, had travelled to Davos. Bommai went there a day early.

RTI activist Marilingegowda Mali Patil told DH, “After returning from the visit, the chief minister and other ministers provided details about the investment attracted by taking part in the summit, but none of them revealed the expenditure.”

Patil questioned the government for taking private individuals as part of the government delegation.

“Though they were knowledge partners, what was the need to take them in a delegation by bearing the expenses from the government?” he said.

As on July 26, the government was yet to clear dues to the tune of Rs 15,33,786 towards rent for local transportation services hired at Davos.