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Foreign tour unites UP's politicians

Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow

They may refuse to see eye to eye; they may be ideologically poles part; and they may call each other names. But, when it comes to reaping a common benefit, the politicians of Uttar Pradesh are more than willing to sink all their differences.

May it be Sangh Parivar's much touted "principled approach", the Samajwadi Party's "tough talk", or the self-proclaimed "idealism" of the Congress, everything takes a back seat, when it is a question of a foreign jaunt.

Cutting across party lines seventeen ministers and legislators are packing their bags for a foreign tour which starts on July 28. This special delegation was scheduled to go on a 16-day tour of the US, Canada, the UK. and Holland sometime in June, to "study how Western democracies function," but the trip was cancelled after trouble broke out in Kargil.

However, just days after the cease-fire, the group got back to their lobbying for the revival of the tour.

Since the delegation included Assembly Speaker Keshri Nath Tripathi and the Chairman of Vidhan Parishad Nityanand Swami, the state officials were ready with a new plan within days. The Finance Department which is referred to as the state's "Shylock", was more than prompt in sanctioning Rs 2 million for the trip. Everything was cleared within 48 hours.

Though there is no provision for carrying spouses, at least three of the legislators are known to be proceedings with their wives. No one knows who is footing the bill for their wives.

Apart from Swami and Tripathi, the group comprises six ministers of the Kalyan Singh cabinet, two legislators of the BJP, two each of BSP and Samajwadi Party and one each of Congress and Lok Dal.

That these law-makers had little concern for the state's near bankruptcy was no secret, but their utter contempt for the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) was news to many. Barely a few days before the trip was sanctioned, the CAG had castigated the UP government for indulging in the extravagance of allowing frequent foreign trips by both ministers and officers.

Furthermore, what seems to irk the man on the street in Lucknow is the fact that while citizens from every walk of like are busy collecting donations for Kargil martyrs (of whom there are a sizeable number from UP), the netas are blowing up a huge sum on a study tour.

But not all ministers are so insensitive. Hukum Singh, a minister in Kalyan Singh cabinet, and a senior party functionary, has opted out of the trip.

D N Mithal, who was Vidhan Sabha secretary for 17 years, said: "The way this whole exercise has been carried out goes to show that a fund-starved government was only waiting for people to generously donate in the name of Kargil, so that our netas could fulfil their long cherished dream of a trip abroad.

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