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MUST READ: How much ministers splurged on petrol

Last updated on: May 25, 2012 17:27 IST

The information technology and telecom ministries spent a whopping Rs 53.14 lakh on fuel in two years, according to a RTI report.  A look at what various other ministries spent on fuel.

The petrol price hike of Rs. 6.28 plus taxes effected on Wednesday, the highest ever, has created a political storm in the country.

While the Congress demanded relief from the hike, which has left the public enraged, the National Democratic Alliance has called for a nationwide bandh on May 31. And in more trouble for the United Progressive Alliance ally Mamata Banerjee will take her protest to the streets as she marches against the petrol price hike on Saturday.  

State-run oil marketers have also indicated a partial rollback by month-end if the rupee and international oil prices are held steady.

Amid the high drama over the petrol hike, a Right to Information query filed activist Chetan Kothari reveals how our ministers splurged on fuel over the past two financial years.

According to the report, the maximum money -- Rs 37,30,707 – was spent by the Ministry of Information Technology in two years i.e. from 2009 to 2010 and 2010 to 2011. These expenses were incurred by Information and Technology Minister Kabil Sibal, his preceder A Raja and Minister of State for Communications and IT Sachin Pilot.

As part of the Ministry of Telecommunications, the three ministers spent Rs 15,84,110.

They are followed by Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who spent Rs 14,60,525 on fuel.

The least sum was spent by Praful Patel and Vayalar Ravi -- Rs 1,25,089 -- during their tenure as civil aviation ministers.

Here's how much ministers paid for petrol in the past two years:

NO

Name of Department,

Ministry

Name of Ministers

Total No of Minister's personal  Staff

Official No.  of Cars Provide to Minister

Petrol-Diesel Consumption in Litters

Expenditure of Petrol –Diesel in Rupees

Remarks

1

Information of Technology

A. Raja, Kapil Sibal, Sachin Piolot

-

6

38,135

37,30,707

-

2

Rural Development

Vilasrav DeshmukhAgatha Sangma

38

2

30,717

17,16,903

-

3

External Affairs

S.M. Krishna, E. Ahmed, Mrs. Preneet Kaur

39

7

23,861

16,51,892

-

4

Telecommunication

A. Raja/Kapil Sibal, Sachin Piolot

41

2

16,129

15,84,110

Holding 2 dept

5

Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources

Dr. Raooq Abdullah

8

3

27,524

15,13,820

-

6

Health

Gulam Nabi Azad,  & Others

21

4

26,555

14,60,525

Holding 2 dept

7

Dept of Home

Not given

-

-

38,910

14,28,637

Rs.36/- per litter given wrong data

8

Women & Child Development

Renuka Chowdhary, Smt. Krishna Trath

17

-

18,952

10,70,133

-

9

Defence

A.K. Antony & M.M. Pallam Raju

13

2

19,401

10,67,055

Holding 3 dept

10

Consumer Affairs

Sharad Power, K.V. Thomas

32

-

17,723

9,66,921

Holding 2 dept

11

Dept Personal & Training

Prithvi raj Chavan, V, Narayanasamy

8

-

16,507

8,87,390

-

12

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting

Smt. Ambika Soni, C.M. Jatua

24

-

17,905

8,40,815

-

13

Ministry of Textiles

Dayanidhi Maran, Smt. Panabaaka Laxmi

32

3

16,160

8,03,304

-

14

Mine's

B.K. Handique, Dinsha Patel

24

3

17,820

8,01,266

-

15

Labour & Employment

Malikarjur Kharge, Harish Rawat

22

4

17,110

7,72,169

-

16

Social Justice & Empowerment

Mukul Wasnik, D. Napolean Mos

21

2

10,885

6,88,498

-

17

Water Resources

Saifudin Soz, P.K. Bansal, Salman Khurshid

24

2

13,080

6,76,198

-

18

Ministry of Urban Development

Jaipal Reddy, Kamalnath, Saugata Roy

33

3

11,400

5,80,628

-

19

Heavy Industries

Santosh Mohan Dev, Vilasrav Deshmukh, Praful Patel

28

-

5640

5,38,853

-

20

Petroleum & Natural Gas

Murli Deora, Jaipal Reddy & others

31

2

10,333

5,26,561

-

21

Ministry of Tourism

Kumari Selja, Sultan Ahmed, Subodh Kant Sahai

28

3

11,151

5,12,113

-

22

Legal Affairs

Dr. M. Veerappa Moily

-

-

8245

4,71,969

Holding 2 dept

23

Panchayati Raj

Vilasrav Deshmukh, Kishore Chandra Deo

10

2

8155

4,48,528

-

24

Ministry of Power

Sushilkumar Shinda, Bharat Solanki

34

-

755

4,15,351

-

25

Development of North Eastern Region

----

--

1

7516

4,13,380

--

26

Commerce

AnandSharma & Jyotiraditya Scindia

21

1

7096

3,71,073

Holding 2 dept

27

Agri Research Education

Srikant Jena

13

1

6010

3,22,624

-

28

Prime Minister's office

Dr. Manmohan Singh (PM)

Prithviraj Chavan

71

7

-

1

-

4177

-

2,11,437

PM office Not given

-

 

29

Ministry of Steel

Veer Bhadra Singh, Jitin Prasada

33

2

3003

1,42,517

-

30

Chemicals and Petrochemicals

M.K. Alagiri

14

1

2620

1,38,604

Holding 2 dept

31

Civil Aviation

Praful Patel & Vayalar Ravi

15

1

3845

1,25,089

-