The clearance sought by Chief Justice of India (CJI) K G Balakrishnan for his proposed visit to Australia later this month along with 16 others has the UPA government frantically searching for a way out.
The reason for the worry is that just last week, the finance ministry had strongly recommended to all ministries to observe austerity in view of the pressure on its finances due to the drought this year. The ministry had also ordered a 10% in non-plan expenditure by reducing foreign and domestic travel, publicity expenses and banning conferences in five-star hotels.
The justice ministry is now planning to escalate the matter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. However, this could compound the problem, as the ministry of external affairs (MEA) had granted clearance to the visit on the ground that no funding would be accepted from any foreign agency as was said in the original proposal from the judiciary. The visit, formal sanction for which has been sought by the CJI from the ministry of justice, was scheduled on the invitation of the chief justice of the Australian Federal Court as part of an exchange programme. The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) has offered to pick the tab, including travel expenses.
?It is government policy that high dignitaries such as minister and judges of the Supreme Court and the high courts should not go abroad on jaunts funded by foreign agencies. We have informed the law ministry that we have no problem with the visit if the government bears the expenses,? said a MEA functionary. Sources said if the government clears the visit, it would end up bearing the expenses of over Rs 25 lakh.
The visit of the delegation, starting September 18 and ending on September 19, is aimed at strengthening ties between common law countries.
?If the visit is sanctioned, the government will have to bear the expenses. We are not sure if such a large contingent should be cleared at a time when the government wants to showcase austerity. But, nothing is certain as the matter involves the higher judiciary,? said a senior government functionary.