Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA and former minister Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday alleged that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was taking ‘a personal entourage of almost 50 people to Davos to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) this week.
Aaditya alleged that not just spouses, even children of ministers and officials were travelling and asked if this was ‘actually a holiday.’ On Saturday NCP MLA Rohit Pawar had slammed the Shinde-Fadnavis government for spending Rs 42 crores on foreign trips in 2023.Rohit revealed that in 2023, the MIDC had spent a whopping Rs 32 crore on the WEF event in Davos last year.
Aaditya also alleged that many of the delegation members had not received the mandatory political clearance from the centre’s Ministry of External Clearance (MEA).
“This holiday for the 75 people includes the likes of a current MP, a former MP (both whose roles in Davos summit are not specified), some publicists from private agencies, a whole battery of PAs to CM and DCM, OSDs of the cm, PSs (shown on various govt agency names), brokers and dealers, and then 4 from MMRDA, 8 from Mahatma Phule Renewable Energy & Infrastructure Technology Limited (MAHAPREIT). The list of the staff of the CM including PA, PS is is 20! Unless it’s for picking up someone’s bags, or sight seeing, or some physical work, what will 50 people do at Davos where they will only sign MoUs?” Aaditya asked in a post on X.

“Only the head of govt and the relevant officers are needed at the MoU signing. Not even the national delegation is ever so big! Is the union finance and external affairs minister aware of this junket and has political clearance been given to this 70+ group? All 50 should typically need political clearance as they represent formal agencies of the state government and central government. Even if some have been made to pay for their own travel, they will use the cars, hotels, and food paid for by us, as taxpayers! More so, they will represent our country and state. Only keen to know if the MEA has started allowing such big junkets, officially,” Aaditya added in his post.
Rohit Pawar, has demanded a high-level probe by the CAG on the expenditure incurred by the MIDC on the foreign visits of cabinet members, bureaucrats and private individuals in 2023.
Rohit Pawar disclosed that while the total cost incurred by MIDC was Rs 42 crore to Rs 45 crore, cost of the tour to Taiwan was Rs 1.88 crore, significantly, neither Fadnavis nor a single cabinet member was a part of the delegation, which comprised deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ OSD Kaustubh Dhawase.