CHANDIGARH , June 23 — The Punjab ministers and bureaucrats have been going abroad at the slightest pretext. The outcome of their expensive trips is , perhaps, nil or of little use to the State . The frequency of their visits does not commensurate with the purported objectives.

Some bureaucrats in the recent past have spent more time abroad than in their offices. They are adept at mixing "business" with "pleasure", where the latter dominates. Often their families accompany them .

In this mad race the ministers are not far behind. This is more true of those who head the "autonomous" boards , corporations and cooperatives .

Invariably the purpose is same : "Woo the NRIs" . The readymade justification is to "study" new technology, invite private investment, education or health system, attend trade fairs and "market" Punjab.

Always dubbed as "official" , these foreign jaunts are a drain on the exchequer. A comprehensive cost : benefit analysis is not easily available. But from what the Punjab Vidhan Sabha was told in March last shows that an expenditure of over Rs 1.40 crore was incurred on the ministers' visits abroad between January 1998 and March , 2000 . What is the result ?

The Finance Department is not very keen to find out who all have been or are currently abroad and how much money is involved .It refers to their "autonomous" status. There has never ever been any in-depth, in-house analysis as to how does the State gain from such visits which have now assumed a scandalous proportion. Besides others, under the lens at present is the Punjab State Industrial Development Corporation (PSIDC) the proverbial "hen which lays the golden ( foreign ) eggs" for its officials.

Trips abroad last for several weeks, from a fortnight to a month. Even at present a Markfed team , headed by a minister is away for nearly 20 days. The Electronics Development and Production Corporation managing director is back after 32 days and chairman and managing director of the Agro-Industries Corporation have just returned after nearly a fortnight.

Likewise the PSIDC managing director and his associates are just back after exploring possibility of introducing air-taxi service in Punjab.

Invariably the cost of these visits is borne by the "project promoters". But corporations do shell out hefty sums.

There is another aspect to these trips. Sources said normally the Government of India rules apply to Punjab. The Reserve Bank of India has also issued instructions to regulate foreign exchange release. Interestingly, different organisations interpret these rules the way it suits them to draw travelling and dearness allowances .

The entertainment allowance on business trips is fixed. Consequently, officials have drawn heavily on this account.