Insta
Rs 42 Lakh: That’s How Much Taxpayer Money Was Spent On Visiting Party Heads For Kumaraswamy’s Swearing-In
Various party heads attending the swearing-in of H D Kumaraswamy as chief minister of Karnataka on 23 May, 2018 (Arijit Sen/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy’s swearin-in ceremony in May this year, wasn’t exactly a low-key affair. Right from inviting the heads of all opposition parties, to making a grand statement about the unity of opposition, the event was a big gala.
However, the grand event wasn’t just about a show of strength, but also a show of finance – funded by the taxpayer. A right to information (RTI) query filed by an activist revealed that the state government spent a staggering Rs 42 lakh on the hospitality of its guests, reports Bangalore Mirror. The guests were accommodated at the Taj West End, one of the city’s high-end hotels, operated by the Tata Group’s India Hotels Company.
While details on West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s – who allegedly threw a fit for being made to walk a short distance – stay were not disclosed, the figures stacked up quite high for the others. Data also showed that State Hospitality Organisation (SHO) did not spend anything for guests at the swearing-in ceremonies of former chief ministers Siddaramaiah in 2013 and B S Yeddyurappa a week earlier in May 2018.
The largest tab of Rs 8.72 lakh was run up by Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu. This was followed by aam aadmi Arvind Kejriwal, CM of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi at Rs 1.85 lakh. Former Janata Dal (United) - JD(U) strongman and Loktantrik Janata Dal founder Sharad yadav came in third with a bill for Rs 1.67 lakh.
Among others, former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav, former Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan spent Rs 1 lakh each while Mayawati spent Rs 1.43 lakh.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar and Communist Party of India (Marxist) -CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury ran a tab of Rs 64,000 each. Former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi spent Rs 38,000 each.
The Karnataka government meanwhile has said that it is low on funds to implement Kumaraswamy’s promised farm loan waiver, going so far as to asking the Centre to release funds. It has also not paid pourakarmikas, many of whom are striking in the state capital of Bengaluru over non-payment of dues for over six months, thus resulting in the Garden City turning into a Garbage City.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest
