Govt spent no money on Sonia's overseas visits, treatment: PMO

New Delhi: Government has spent no money on the overseas visits of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi or her medical treatment, the Prime Minister's Office said today, rubbishing Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's claim about Rs 1,880 crore expenses being incurred on these.

"Media reports quoting certain quarters about massive expenses from the exchequer on UPA Chairperson's overseas visits have been brought to the notice of the Prime Minister's Office. The reports quoting an expense of Rs 1,880 crore are untrue and misleading," the PMO said in a statement.

It did not name Modi who had made the claim but was clearly referring to it. "The Central Information Commissioner has already denied these reports and made a statement," the statement said.

"The Prime Minister's Office would like to put on record that the Government has incurred no expenses on UPA Chairperson's visits abroad. Expenses for her security contingent are borne by the Special Protection Group," it said.

The PMO said that during the last 8 years, only one trip to Belgium undertaken at the invitation of the Belgian government to receive a national honour was paid for by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. The total cost was less than Rs 3 lakhs.

"It is further clarified that the government has not borne any expenses for the UPA Chairperson's medical treatment abroad and in India," the statement said. Modi had made the claim citing an RTI reply but the RTI applicant in Hisar, Haryana, had said the figure quoted by the Gujarat Chief Minister was grossly wrong.