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From Berlin and Paris to Brussels, Denmark and London to tour of Ghent and Bruges in Belgium, top officers of the City Beautiful crisscrossed Europe for a series of visits in 2015-2016. Even though the Department of Personnel, Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines regulating foreign travel state that the size of the delegation and duration of the visit should be kept to the bare minimum, and participation of officials in international fairs/exhibitions/workshops and conferences should be discouraged, the then UT adviser Vijay Dev was given permission to lead at least four delegations to Europe in 2015.

These details emerged following a request filed under the Right to Information Act about foreign tours undertaken by UT officials by the father of this correspondent.

The travels started in February-end, when Vijay Dev led a delegation comprising the then Home Secretary-cum-Secretary Tourism Anurag Agarwal, and director, tourism, Kavita Singh, to take part in ITB Berlin, an annual tourism trade fair, from March 4 to 8. Even though the four-day event was from March 4, the official trip lasted 10 days from February 28 to March 9, 2015.

Expenditure details from the office of Director Tourism show that Vijay Dev and Kavita Singhs Berlin trip cost Rs 9,92,314.

Despite repeated attempts by The Indian Express to reach Vijay Dev by email, WhatsApp and mobile, there was no response from him at the time of filing this report.

Two months later, Vijay Dev, who is at present the State Election Commissioner of Delhi and Chandigarh, led another delegation comprising the then Home Secretary Anurag Agarwal, and Secretary, Personnel, Vikram Dev Dutt to Villa Savoye in Poissy (Paris) to attend a meeting of Le Corbusiers architectural work owners from June 15 to June 17. RTI records show that the three IAS officers spent Rs 25 lakh during their stay in Paris from June 12-18, 2015 almost 40 per cent more than the the amount originally approved.

This meeting was also attended by chief architect Kapil Setia.

In October again, UT Adviser Vijay Dev, then Secretary Tourism, Vikram Dev Dutt, then MC Commissioner Bhawna Garg, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Prince Dhawan, and Indian Forest Service officer Santosh Kumar were given permission to attend one week working meeting visit to Brussels and Denmark from October 25 to 31, 2015 (excluding the journey time).

The permission cited cadre clearance conveyed by Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, political clearance, and Ministry of External affairs. In this trip, Vikram Dev Dutts air ticket from Delhi to Brussels to Copenhagen to Helinski Vantaa and back to Delhi cost Rs 2,44,747 while the Chandigarh-Delhi return air fare was pegged at Rs 25,136. The records also mention ticket cancellation charges for Brussels to London for Vijay Dev, local taxi charges in Copenhagen and ticket fare for a city tour of Ghent and Bruges in Belgium for the entire delegation.

As per the RTI records, the Chandigarh Administration also approved the official visit of Vijay Dev, Home Secretary Anurag Agarwal (at present Chief Electoral Officer in Haryana) and tourism managing director Kavita Singh to the World Travel Mart in London from November 2 to 5, 2015. In February 2016, Dev was given permission to participate as leader of the Indian delegation in a two-day programme in London from February 18 to 19, 2016, to showcase solar achievements and to attract UK investors.

The department of personnel guidelines clearly state that participation of officials in international fairs/exhibitions/workshops and conferences should be discouraged, and if considered essential, only the officer directly dealing with the subject shall be deputed. But the RTI records show that officers seldom travelled alone.

Vikram Dev Dutt, then secretary, personnel and urban development, who is now chairman and Managing Director of Air India Asset Holding Limited, visited Paris twice in six months from June to November 2015. Dutt, who was part of the June 2015 trip to Paris, made another trip to the French capital in November-December. He was accompanied by chief architect Kapil Setia.

On November 23, 2015, an order by the Chandigarh Administration approved the official visit of Vikram Dev Dutt, Secretary Personnel cum Urban Planning, and Kapil Setia, Chief Architect, for attending the meeting on nominations for the world heritage list 2016 to be held on November 30, 2015 at Paris (excluding the journey time).

It further said, The Administrator is further pleased to allow Vikram Dev Dutt to participate in United Nations Framework Convention on climate change on December 1 and December 2, 2015 at Paris.

Later, on December 14, the administrator sanctioned Rs 3,34,794 for Vikram Dutts Paris trip from November 28 to December 3, 2015. This included New Delhi to Paris return air fare of Rs 1,78,197, which was to be paid to Sector 17-based Grand Travel Planners along with accommodation charges of Rs 1,56,000.

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On December 14, 2015, he was sanctioned an allowance of Rs 35,640 plus an advance of Rs 36,000 already sanctioned.

This expenditure was to be met out of the UT Budget.

In February 2016, Vikram Dutt again went to Paris.

RTI records dated February 3,2016 state, The Administrator is pleased to allow Vikram Dev Dutt, IAS, Secretary Urban Planning, and Baldeo Purushartha IAS, Commissioner MC for attending the meeting of Indo-French Joint Working Group on Sustainable Urban development and technical visit from February 22 to February 25, 2016, excluding journey days, to be held in Paris, subject to cadre clearance and political clearance from MHA and MEA. Later, the clearances were received and an advance of Rs 1,49,959 was sanctioned for booking Vikram Devs air tickets from Chandigarh to Paris and back to Grand Travel Planners. On his return, this sum was revised to Rs 1,81,407 to include daily allowance etc.

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European Union of the high and mighty: How UT officers made a beeline to that continent - The Indian Express