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CAG pulls up MEA for "unwieldy" Haj goodwill delegation
New Delhi (PTI): the Comptroller and Auditor General of India has pulled up the External Affairs Ministry for sending a "extravagant" and "unwieldy" Haj goodwill delegation to Saudi Arabia every year in "disregard for economy in public expenditure."

The CAG asked the MEA to reduce the size of the delegation and cut short their stay in Saudi Arabia. It also asked the Ministry to review the extravagance in hiring of the accommodation and transport and de-link the pilgrimage by the members of the delegation.

The Centre sends a Haj goodwill delegation for 18-20 days to Saudi Arabia every year to promote goodwill between the two countries, in particular with special reference to cooperation extended by Saudi Arabia to Haj pilgrims from the country.

"The Ministry has not established the goodwill functions to be performed by the members of the delegation through which the fulfilment of the intended objectives is ensured," the CAG said in his report.

The CAG also pulled up the MEA for determining the size of the delegation every year in an ad-hoc manner.

"Large size of the delegations continues to be approved despite the formal recommendations in the past of our Consul General at Jeddah and by the leaders of the delegations that the big size of delegation is unwieldy, unnecessary and counter-productive," the report said.

The CAG said the MEA has not established any criteria for determining the suitability of the members included in the delegation

Source: The Hindu