At a time when the cash strapped Punjab government is making efforts to save money, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s two day long visit to woo inventors in Mumbai in April has cost `25 Lakh to the state exchequer.
As per the information received by Right to Information (RTI) by Social Reformers, an information sharing Non Government Organisation (NGO) reveals that the CM stayed in a room fare of `80,000 per night at Hotel Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai.
Revealing the data obtained through RTI from Punjab Investment Bureau, President of NGO Social Reformers, Rajesh Gupta told The Statesman that total cost incurred on the visit was `25.07 lakh out of which 6.58 lakh were spent of air travel. He said, Hotel Taj Mahal Palace foots bill of `15 Lakh including CM’s stay in a room with fare of `80, 000 per night.
Gupta further said, Singh flew business class from Chandigarh to Mumbai and back from Mumbai to Delhi along with Cabinet minister Rana Gurjeet Singh, Media advisor to CM, Raveen Thukral, Senior Advisor to CM, Tajinder Singh Shergill and Chief Principal Secretary to CM, Suresh Kumar also flew business class on both sides.
Interestingly, Finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal got his business class ticket cancelled and later shifted to economy class, he said.
The RTI reveals that out of total expenses incurred on air travel, the fare for five persons who flew business class was `3.5 Lakh and for 16 persons who flew economy including Finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal was `2 Lakh.
The CM and his team stayed at Hotel Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai costing a total bill of `15 lakh out of which `8.63 lakh were spent on accommodation.