M A I N   N E W S

MEA dream house rocked
Public Accounts Committee’s report

New Delhi, December 18
A heated indoor swimming pool with a sauna bath cabin and a separate shower room, four bedrooms, a guest room, study room, hobby room, store room, garage, kitchen and a big garden. This is not a dream house but one housing the Consul General of India at Frankfurt. The External Affairs Ministry incurred recurring expenditure on the maintenance of the swimming pool amounting to about Rs 6.45 lakh from 1993 to 1995 alone in addition to other expenditure which were not quantifiable.

Indicting the MEA for purchasing the property with extravagant appurtenances, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its report presented to the Lok Sabha today, said audit scrutiny revealed that the need for economy in government expenditure and the functional requirement of the position of Head of Post/Consul General of India at Frankfurt were not kept in view while giving the sanction.

The committee has asked the MEA to furnish a list of all such residences of diplomats having facilities like swimming pool, sauna baths etc and the maintenance expenditure incurred on them during the past three years.

Asked to explain the functional necessity of buying the property with such facilities, the MEA stated that in order to discharge his official and representational obligations in a befitting manner, it was essential that such amenities serve “representational requirements” and not his personal daily needs.

Significantly, the committee observed that the oral deposition of the Foreign Secretary before it was “diametrically opposite” to both the MEA’s written reply and the facts stated in the audit report which referred to the purchase of only a single property in Frankfurt that was approved by the MEA on reconsideration.

The Foreign Secretary, in her deposition, instead referred to two properties and the MEA according sanction for the purchase of the second property while rejecting the first.

However, subsequently in its revised note, the MEA eventually agreed with the facts, figures and conclusions of the audit regarding the property.

“The ministry has thus chosen to reply to Parliament on a matter under its scrutiny without exercising proper care. Such an attitude of callousness is very unfortunate and totally unacceptable,” the committee observed.

The committee, while refraining from taking further steps for furnishing incorrect information to Parliament, cautioned and admonished the MEA against this attitude and directed to show utmost care and prompt attention to audit observations which highlighted many acts of “omission and commission in our missions abroad.”

It termed as “untenable” the MEA contention that universal norms were not desirable for the residence of diplomatic officials posted abroad. It said stipulating such norms were both desirable and feasible. PTI