Varanasi: As rains led to the cancellation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to his parliamentary constituency on Thursday, for the second time in the past one month, a staggering Rs.17 crore of the tax payer's money also has gone down the drain. Literally!

If local district and protocol officials are to be believed, washed out trip has cost the exchequer more than Rs.17 crores. While VVIP visits do cost a fortune, the amount spent on Modi's now-cancelled visit is stunning for more than one reason.