Monday, February 21, 2011

The tamasha of foreign tours

My introduction to the world of "foreign tours" was sudden, unexpected, and an eye opener. Feeling deeply dis satisfied in a charge where I felt that there wasn't enough meaningful work, chafing against a system that did not allow me to say this because it'd reflect poorly on my predecessors and create problems (of too much work!) for my successors, looking out of the window at the majestic skyline of South Block and reflecting how  so much less majestic were the official duties I was discharging, I was summoned one day by a senior colleague, to be told that I'd been working too hard, I needed a break, and I'd therefore been nominated for a short workshop in Singapore. I was to leave the next day, the details of the accomodation, allowances etc would be provided on arrival, and I was to focus on having a good time. I was then shown out of the office. My official passport got made in a couple of hours, the tickets were delivered at my residence, the visa was to be obtained on arrival, and there I was, twenty four hours later, being received at Changi Airport by the hosts. The accomodation was sumptuous, the delegates were Asian, the resource persons were American, the subject was "bonded labour" and it had nothing whatsoever to do with my official duties. So for five days, I had a hearty breakfast every day, did all the sight seeing that Singapore offers, marvelled at the lush greenery and the cleanliness, and when fatigued, sat through a session or two of the workshop. On return, I was informed by a colleague who had an ear to the grape vine that there had been a bit of a tussle between the officers who felt that they'd best represent the country in this forum, and because neither was prepared to cede ground, I'd been selected at the last minute as a compromise candidate !

So who gets to undertake training abroad? The Government servant who'd benefit most from it, whose being trained would benefit the organisation the most? An emphatic "no" would be the answer.Who gets to represent the country in international fora where Conventions and protocols and standards are discussed, drafted, and finalised? The officer best conversant with the subject, who's been acquainting himself with every development in the field, analysing the implications for domestic policy, preparing the country's stand on crucial issues? Of course not! The deciding factors are many, and far removed from such trivial considerations ----- who's in the good books of the powers-that-be, who needs to visit a child studying abroad, who has been the most compliant, who's rocked the boat and needs to be taught a lesson, who's prepared to deliver pickles and other savouries to the boss's relatives living abroad etc etc.
There have been occasions when a colleague in the delegation has brazenly informed me that he is completely unfamiliar with the substantive issues on the agenda and is there only because his boss agreed that he needed to unwind and he'd therefore be out the whole day sightseeing with his son.

Does anyone assess whether the officer being deputed will be able to articulate well the country's position? No. Is it a standard practise that it  be determined whether he/she even knows what position to articulate? No. Is the officer deputed ever pulled up for poor performance? No.There is such a thing as a back-to-office-report, which in most cases is never read. No one cares to assess whether any learning that the individual may have done, between sightseeing and shopping, can be transferred to others and/or to institutional memory.

The question that is most often asked when one returns from a foreign tour is:how was Paris/Amsterdam/Vienna/Washington/Moscow? Was the training useful? Did the Conference produce the desired results? Were the negotiations favourable to India? These are not the questions that one is expected to answer.

Of course, there are honourable exceptions, but by and large, foreign tours are a terrible, terrible waste of the tax payer's money, for the simple reason that these are looked at as distribution of largesse.The corporate sector must have its share of business travel that is ill advised or ill planned or redundant ---but the tax payer doesn't finance it!

31 comments:

  1. I like reading this blog very good information how the tax payer money is being misused i was kind if surprised too that so many officers and ministers are coming abroad what is the reason but now I understand after reading your blog
    Thanks Priya ......

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  2. Priya, excellent commentary on sarkari foreign tours. However, I would add that even corporate sector business travel affects public money. How? Well, expenses on such travel would be deductible from income and thereby would reduce income tax outgo. Thus even unwarranted corporate travel is partly financed by public money and the rest by shareholders'money.

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    1. you are right --- that's a perspective I had overlooked!

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    2. Well I don't think so. All the travel incur taxes. Public get their due share which they are not entitled to. For corporation they intend to cut down unnecessary travel as they eat into their profits. Sorry if I sound rude.

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    3. Usually foreign trips by middle management or lower level in a private sector are for a purpose. The company paid trips for entertainment of top executives are mostly part of their perks.In private companies, there is an accountability of each manager who approves the trip.Cost saving is one of the objectives of their department and many companies link their yearly incentives clubbed to cost saving.Many people in private sector are mostly fed up of frequent travel.No private sector company will prefer for a tax saving of Rs.30 by spending Rs.100/-. Companies will definitely like to show PBIT,PAT and NP than higher expense on travel and reduced Profit.

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  3. A good blog and you explained so simply how the tax money goes in dump with this frequent foreign by official who are expected to bring out some good result and stand as a country delegates there by increasing the popularity.
    Tour happens in corporate world but at least people do there job which is expected out of them..
    Even though our sarkari babu take a ferry ride in other country in the name of meetings, at least they should implement those ideas which they like and capture in there frame but they end up spitting pan/gutka back home and encouraging corruption..

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  4. Aptly title 'Tamasha', Liked your post. Shared.

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  5. Hi Priya,

    Thanks for sharing the information. As a responsible citizen, I will make sure that the word is spread and others are informed as well.

    This would have gone unnoticed as usual but the more people know about it, the more brainstorming will take place on how to create transparency in spending tax-payers money and fix accountability.

    Regards,
    Adi

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  6. Yes indeed its a waste of our hard earned money of tax paid by people working in private organizations..but don't know how it is going to change..will India also need a revolution to change the things?

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  7. I like your effort

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  8. Ms Singh, the story is even worse in corporate sector. Everyone talks about production, technological or process inefficiencies, but nobody is ready to talk about 'Economic', 'Social' and 'Org-dynamics' inefficiencies. It is the large number of small investors, customers (who are also the taxpayer) and other stakeholders (such as employees) who finance the power-game OLYMPICS for Greyhounds in all large organisations. Amount of wastage is colossal (cumulative sum must be at par with government if not higher). It would be myopic to think that private sector wastage does not impact public/ tax-payer. These are all budgeted in escalated cost factors in terms of PR costs, Marketing & Media management costs, and misc process costs. End of the day, customer/ taxpayer has to pay for these wastages in terms of higher costs/market prices. There is complete collusion on rules of the game in corporate sector. You scratch my back, I will do the same for you. 'Earth Resources' and 'Human Labour' are not the asset of any corporate or individual ruling party. "Value Creation" does not mean putting a fence/ boundary around some public resource. Coal-gate scam is a fine example in this case. In most cases, it is a myth pumped in minds of many naive investors through a carefully planned mass-media propaganda, an astute manipulation of flexible system boundaries and juggling of financial numbers. Foreign study tours, conferences and bonuses are the tools used to incent people in return of favour, or diverting someone from key issue in stylish way.

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  9. Excellent article Priya, keep it up

    India needs more bureaucrats like you to highlight what is going wrong with our nation

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  10. very well presented. thanks for sharing.

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  11. I do not completely agree with you. Agreed, the tours are "gifted" to certain people, but many government officers I know also make use of these tours in a positive way towards self development. A case in point: my uncle went abroad many times to Europe, no doubt because he was also in the "good books" of his boss. But each time he went abroad he also grew intelectually. To this day, even after his retirement he remains one of the most well informed and articulate persons around. Of course, I also know many people who are good, but have been sidelined because they were not liked by their bosses. BUT... and this is a big BUT, many people also do contribute to their home institutions in a positive manner as a result of interactions and growth on these foriegn tours and conferences.

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    1. I too want self-development and can contribute. Question is will you sponsor my trip ? If not we are in same page. I too don't want to sponsor any trip without proper return on my investment.

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  12. whats the solution to deal with this?
    People who have power to waste the money are going to waste the money, in one way or other... Can system be made in such a way that power to access money taken out of Govt. hand?

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  13. Well written Priya... I believe some of these study tours are also facilitated to do some errands for the boss.... especially if he is a minister... I have seen some of these gross misfit people who go for the study tours.... I believe this also happens in the Corporate world but the instances of misuse will be much lesser.

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  14. Hi Priya,

    Absolutely NONE of ANY (foreign or local) trip in corporate is unplanned or redundant. For corporates to survive, there cannot be any scope of wastage of resources. Every penny spent has a pre-analyzed ROI (return on investment) analysis done. Detailed reporting and analysis every action (trip, meeting, visit, etc.) is minutely done afterwards.

    The reason I am explaining this is to highlight the core difference between govt and corporates' way of working. Government interface is the ONLY interface where there's corruption, inefficiency and delay.

    Excellent you brought this up. I would request you to kindly bring this and other issues related to operational inefficiencies of government system to the surface and help the country for its betterment.


    Best Regards,

    Ambar

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  15. priya ji,

    read the post in a single go and read it again. Looks like content has just come from your heart. it would have been a constant battle against your consciousness through out the trip.

    hope this post will open eyes for someone and bring at least 1% change.

    keep talking and live the way you want.

    nice article .. thank you

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  16. Hi priya,
    The similar situation also happen in scientific conference outside/in india. People are enjoying their sponsored tour. They are not willing to attend a single session of conference.
    Dr. Prakul Rakesh
    PhD
    IIT bombay

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  17. It must not be for the so called OFFICIAL FOREIGN TOURS only What is more painfully observed is that many in politics & position holders go to the foreign countries for health care/check ups & treatments. The very persons who are Mandated for creating good/efficient conditions in side the country itself ,if they fail in their duties,then why at least they be permitted these facilities.

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  18. I appreciate Priya's courage of exposing the real motive of foreign tours by Civil servants and other government officers in the ministeries.Perhaps Priya is no more in service. That is why she could summon up so much of courage. Everybody in the government and the bureaucracy is cheating the tax-payers in his own way. So, nothing very surprizing.

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  19. I appreciate you Priya for highlighting such issues. It has always been a craze to travel abroad on the name of development and globalization. And it has been done from past several decades. We have so much resources and we have talent also. The only problem is bad management and people think travelling to Europe or any other part of the world will help in this. I am doing research and I meet every year people come from India to attend conferences. And you would be surprized that very few people come with an intention to have collaboration otherwise rest just come to travel. I had always listened people complain about economy, corruption, etc. but no one talk about solution or how to deal with it.

    But i appreciate that people like you are always there who from time to time show us the reality of our society. which shows that there are people living in our socitey with such clear vision and honesty.

    Jai-Hind

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  20. I m still wondering if my country India can be of my dreams..
    Vivek Web Designer from Patna.

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  21. Very well written blog and straight out of heart. Keep it up.


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  22. Priya ji - thank you so much for enlightening us. As a private sector executive working in American MNC in US, I travel extensively to many countries every month. Over the years, I have had chance to meet many Indian babus (both central and state govt) at various major cities (including Singapore as you mentioned). I meet them in 5 star hotels, restaurants or simply in public places in the evenings. Whereas in US public companies, every penny is accounted for expenses, it appears to me that these babus do not care about accountability. Further, I rarely see them going for meetings or work - mostly having fun with family or alone or in a group (of babus). As you mentioned Singapore, I assume you might have even experienced some of the unsavoury funs these babus indulge into. But then, when the political netas are busy stealing our money........who will tell these babus to stop??? We need more bureaucrats in service with conscince like you and others like you.

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  23. AND STILL MY CHIDAMBARAM ASKS WHY PEOPLE ARE RELUCTANT TO PAY TAXES(PARTIALLY OR FULLY). SIMPLY AS MOST OF THE GOVT EXPENDITURE IS FOR TAMASHA ONLY, BE IT FORIEGN TRIP, SECURITY, GAMES, INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, ADHAR NUMBER (UID NO), MAINTENAINCE ETC ETC AND ETC AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON AND ON.

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  24. Very informative, eye opener, heart touching blog. Keep it up! Thanks!

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  25. Accountability and proficiency is not in the government’s dictionary.

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