`42 lakhs spent on HDK’s swearing-in
Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy keeps harping and weeping that his government has no money to spare for poor farmers or for civic infrastructure. Really?
HDK's seven-minute swearing in ceremony had cost the Karnataka government Rs 42 lakh - all tax payers money in under 24 hours.
The figures were revealed in an RTI reply by the State Hospitality Department.
The HDK government burnt Rs 42 lakh in less than 24 hours by settling bills of dignitaries that the CM had invited for his swearing-in which had turned out to be more a photo-op for opposition unity.
It still begs the question how posh government guest houses in Bengaluru were not good enough for a stay that lasted less than 24 hours for our dignitaries. And they are people's representatives.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu was the costliest. He checked into the Taj West End on May 23 at 9.49 am and checked out on May 24 at 05.34 am and ran up a bill of Rs 8,72,485! Just for less than 24 hours! How he spent over Rs 8 lakh is still a mystery as Naidu is a frugal eater.
'Aam Aadmi' Arvind Kejriwal who checked into the Taj West End on May 23 at 9.49 am and checked out on May 24 at 5.34. His bill for in-room dining, food/juices of Rs 71,025 and 5,000 for beverages, on the night he arrived. So what does the Aam Aadmi leader eat and drink?
In contrast, the State Hospitality Organisation, Government of Karnataka did not spend any money to provide accommodation to the guests who attended the swearingin ceremony of Siddaramaiah on May 13, 2013 and BS Yeddyurappa on May 17, 2018.
But HDK was different. The State Hospitality Organisation under him spent Rs 37,53,536 to provide accommodation and food at two five star hotels-Taj West End and Shangri La-on May 23 and 24 and Rs 4,35,001 on hi-tea buffet organized at Vidhana Soudha Banquet Hall on May 23. The tea and snacks were supplied by Taj West End, Bengaluru.
Forty-two top leaders, including non-BJP chief ministers,
were invited to attend the swearing-in ceremony of H D Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara.
Movie star-turned-politician Kamal Haasan ran up a bill of Rs 1,02,040 for his stay at the Taj West End.
The State Hospitality Organisation did not provide details on the money spent to provide accommodation for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Reacting to this wasteful expenditure, former Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde was quoted in the local daily as saying: “The state government has been claiming that it has no money to take up developmental projects. It is the responsibility of the political party, which invited these leaders, to bear the expenses. The state government should have accommodated the invitees at its guest houses in Bengaluru.”
Freedom fighter HS Doreswamy was shocked: “The dignitaries should have thought twice before wasting money. They should have realised that they are not supposed to feast on others' money. It is very unfortunate that neither the invitees nor their hosts thought of utilising the tax-payers' money prudently.”
Prithvi Reddy, Convener of AAP Karnataka: “The State Government need not pay the expenses. It is the responsibility of the political party that invited him for the function. The state government is the guardian of tax-payers' money and it should not allow wasteful expenditure.''