The government has not curtailed foreign travel and associated expenses even during a state of emergency. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who sent ministers on junkets to Bangkok as a strategy to cling to power [in his earlier stint], seems to be using the same formula now. Ministers have travelled extensively during the past five months, the finance, agriculture and information and communications ministers are the most frequent fliers. Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat travelled to Sri Lanka, India, Mexico and the Maldives; Minister for Agriculture Mahesh Acharya visited Pakistan, Bhutan and Bangladesh. The Minister for Information and Communication Jayaprakash Prasad Gupta went to Pakistan, Turkey and Bangkok. Some other ministers who have travelled during the period include the Minister for Women and Social Welfare Rajendra Kharel who went to Japan; Minister for Industry and Supplies Purna Bahadur Khadka, Germany; Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Bal Bahadur KC, Germany; Minister for Health Sharat Singh Bhandari, Brazil; Science and Technology Minister Bhakta Bahadur Balayar, India, United States; State Minister for Health Mohan Bahadur Basnet, Switzerland; State Minister for Foreign Affairs Arjun Jang Bahadur Singh, India; and State Home Minister Devendra Raj Kandel, Indonesia.