Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged governments and officials to cut down on foreign tours and avoid unnecessary expenditure unless absolutely essential. Soon after this appeal, the Andhra Pradesh government announced measures such as reducing official convoys and even shifting the party’s Mahanadu event to hybrid mode to save costs. Some ministers were also seen travelling on bicycles, creating buzz in the media. However, when it comes to foreign tours, the coalition government does not appear willing to slow down. In June last year, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, along with ministers Narayana, Nara Lokesh, T.G. Bharath, and a team of officials, visited Singapore. Earlier this month, Minister Nara Lokesh again toured Singapore. Now, yet another delegation led by Chandrababu Naidu is preparing for another visit to Singapore.
The Andhra Pradesh government issued official orders regarding the tour on Friday. According to the Government Order (GO), the delegation will attend the World Cities Summit scheduled to be held in Singapore from June 14 to 16. The World Cities Summit is conducted once every two years. This time, along with Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Minister Nara Lokesh, IAS officers Karthikeya Mishra and N. Yuvaraj, APCRDA Commissioner V. Vijayarama Raju, and APEDB CEO S. Shanmohan will also be part of the delegation. The government order further stated that the entire expenditure for the visit will be borne by APEDB.
Even before Prime Minister Modi’s recent remarks, a group of Andhra Pradesh ministers had already travelled to Singapore for training programs. In addition to that, the state government also sent some government teachers to Singapore as part of study tours. Meanwhile, criticism has emerged over the repeated foreign visits despite the state’s weak financial condition. An IAS officer reportedly remarked sarcastically that although Andhra Pradesh’s economy may not be in good shape, the coalition government seems determined to contribute significantly to Singapore’s economy.