UPA ministers owe Air India Rs 435 crore

Union Cabinet Ministers have accumulated dues of Rs 435 crore on the cash-strapped Air India, which is 93 per cent of the total bills incurred by them during their visits abroad, Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

Responding to a question, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office V Narayanasamy said during 2009-10 Cabinet ministers incurred bills of Rs 61.10 crore on foreign travel while ministers of state spent Rs 3.78 crore.

In 2010-11, Cabinet ministers spent Rs 37.17 crore while ministers of state spent Rs 4.76 crore. In 2011-12, foreign travel bill of Cabinet Ministers was a staggering Rs 460.78 crore till December 16, 2011 while for Ministers of State the figure was Rs 3.80 crore, he said.

The minister said the figure of Rs 460.78 crore "includes pending payments to Air India for previous years amounting to Rs 435 crore".

He said Ministry-wise expenditure information is being collected and would soon be tabled in the House adding that the Cabinet Secretariat has issued guidelines from time to time regarding foreign visits by Ministers.