Karnataka Government to settle PM Modi’s pending Mysuru hotel bills of Rs 80.6 Lakh
Mysuru: The Karnataka government has announced that it will cover the hotel expenses amounting to Rs 80.6 lakh for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stay at Radisson Blu Plaza during his visit to Mysuru in April 2023. The announcement came after the hotel threatened legal action if the dues were not settled by June 1, 2024.
Prime Minister Modi stayed at the hotel while attending the inauguration of the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger, an event organized by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF).
Addressing the media on Monday, May 27, Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre explained that the excess expenditure of Rs 3.33 crore incurred during the event should have been covered by the NTCA, but due to the model code of conduct in place for the Karnataka Assembly elections, the state government has agreed to settle the hotel bills to avoid further issues.
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“The event was a Union government program with an allocated budget of Rs 3 crore, but the actual expenditure rose to Rs 6.33 crore due to short notice. While the Union government disbursed the initial Rs 3 crore, the remaining amount was left unpaid,” Khandre said.
The Hindu reported that the State Forest Department was directed to organize the event from April 9 to 11 with a budget of Rs 3 crore, assured of full financial support from the Union government. However, costs escalated beyond the initial budget, leading to a shortfall of Rs 3.33 crore.
On September 29, 2023, Karnataka’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) wrote to the Deputy Inspector-General of NTCA, New Delhi, requesting the settlement of the outstanding dues. The NTCA responded on February 12, 2024, stating that the additional expenses should be borne by the state government. A reminder was sent on March 22, 2024, highlighting the pending hotel bills for the Prime Minister’s stay.
With no payment forthcoming, Radisson Blu Plaza’s Finance General Manager wrote to the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Basavaraju, on May 21, 2024, reminding him of the dues and indicating that delayed payments would incur an 18% annual interest.
In light of these developments, the Karnataka government has decided to reimburse the hotel to resolve the matter.
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Four of family killed as car jumps divider on highway in Gujarat's Panchmahal
Godhra (Gujarat) (PTI): Four members of a family were killed, and one sustained grievous injuries after their speeding car jumped a divider on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway corridor in Gujarat's Panchmahal district on Monday, police said.
The car driver lost control of the wheels near Kalol. As a result, the four-wheeler jumped the divider and veered off to the other side of the highway, an official from Kalol police station said.
Soon after the accident, some locals rushed to the scene and also alerted the police. Efforts were made to pull out the people trapped in the car.
Four persons died on the spot, while one suffered injuries, the official said.
The deceased were members of a family from Vadodara and were returning from Rajasthan when the tragedy struck, the official said.
They have been identified as Sajid Iqbal Khinji (55), Ilyas Iqbal Khinji (50), Ishaq Iqbal Khinji (48) and Rehan Azgar Khinji (35).
