Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation spends over Rs 2.5 crore in 10 years on foreign trips

Do you need to visit foreign countries for the commercial development of railway land and airspace in India? Yes, if you are an officer of the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC).

Through details obtained under RTI Act, it has come to light that between 2003-2004 and 2012-2013, MRVC officers made several trips to foreign countries to carry out a technical study for commercial development of railway land and airspace in Mumbai.

A Right To Information (RTI) reply, obtained by activist Anil Galgali, has revealed that between 2003-2004 and 2012-2013, the MRVC incurred overall expenses to the tune of Rs 2,92,77,559 on foreign trips. MRVC thus spent around Rs 2,41,964 on every foreign trip.

"Of this, Rs 38,18,185 lakh was spent on foreign travel in 2012-2013 alone for study tours and inspections," said Galgali.

Now, nobody knows how the foreign tours could help MRVC learn how to commercially develop railway land in the country, especially when the state and central governments have successfully exploited and commercially developed vacant lands across the country.

MiD DAY had earlier reported in July 2007 about the foreign tours made by MRVC officers, even before a single project had taken off in the city.
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