BJP Govt spends Rs 258.9 crore of taxpayers' money on PM Modi’s foreign visits
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The BJP-led central government spent about Rs 258.9 crore of taxpayers' money on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign visits between May 2022 and December 2024, covering around 38 trips abroad.
The highest expenditure recorded for his visit to the United States in June 2023. This trip cost over Rs 22 crore, according to information presented in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
Another visit to the United States in September 2024 required more than Rs 15 crore. The overall expenditure covered costs related to accommodation for the delegation, transportation, security, venue arrangements, and additional expenses under the category of “miscellaneous,” which remained undefined in the government’s response.
In 2022, Modi travelled to Germany, Denmark, France, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Uzbekistan, and Indonesia. The following year, he visited Papua New Guinea, Australia, Japan, the United States, the UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Indonesia, and Greece.
His official travels in 2024 included destinations such as the UAE, Bhutan, Qatar, Italy, Austria, Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Brunei Darussalam, the US, Singapore, Laos, Brazil, Guyana, and Kuwait.
The details of the expenditure were shared in a written reply by Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita. The response was provided to a query raised by Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, who sought information on the funds spent by Indian diplomatic missions for arrangements related to the prime minister’s visits.