Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Oct 16: The state finance department had shot down the proposal  submitted by the secretariat of the state legislature seeking to spend a whopping Rs 26.87 crore to celebrate diamond jubilee of Vidhan Soudha. It has asked the secretariat to limit total expenditure to within ten crore rupees.

The secretariat of the council and assembly had planned a big progamme involving expenses of Rs 26.87 crore. The programme is planned to be held during a two-day session of the legislature being specially convened for the purpose.

After receiving the proposal initially, the finance department has sought item-wise expenses. The secretariat replied that it wants to hold a grand programme that will linger in the memory of people for long. The finance department has now instructed the secretariat to spend not more than ten crore rupees. The secretariat again sent back its old proposal, and the finance department has forwarded the file to the chief minister with its objections, and leaving the final decision to the discretion of the chief minister.

The file is with the chief minister now. There has been huge outcry against the plan to gift legislators with gold bars worth Rs 50,000 each and silver plates worth Rs 5,000 to staff. People have been questioning the propriety of spending huge money at a time when the state is grappling with financial crunch on account of untimely rains, loan waiver scheme and other problems.

Several opposition legislators have expressed their desire to reject gold bars if presented. An official of the secretariat said that the staff had never sought silver plates, and that spending Rs 27 crore for a function to commemorate diamond jubilee of a building, construction of which had cost just Rs 1.73 crore would be ridiculous.