Government’s low thinking, high living

A beleaguered Yeddyurappa is treating his ministers and officers to a rollicking good time at a luxury resort. The good times will cost at least Rs 15 lakh and guess who's footing the bill?

Government's low thinking, high living

A beleaguered Yeddyurappa is treating his ministers and officers to a rollicking good time at a luxury resort. The good times will cost at least Rs 15 lakh and guess who's footing the bill?

COSTLY AFFAIR: Yeddyurappa has called a two-day meeting at a posh resort to give his ministers and officers a pep talk

In an attempt to stem dissidence in the party, chief minister B S Yeddyurappa has called a two-day meeting at Golden Palm Resort to give his ministers and officers a pep talk. Over 60 of them are expected to attend.

Yeddyurappa started deliberations with his team last Tuesday at Vidhana Soudha. The meetings, held in groups, ended on Thursday.u00a0

u00a0"We have discussed all the issues relating to administration at Vidhana Soudha. I don't understand why we are meeting at the resort," an officer said.

u00a0He will know this evening when the entire team leaves for the resort in two Volvo buses.

Serving up luxury

The estimated cost of the "meeting" is around Rs 15 lakh. "We will know the exact cost only after the event," said a source in the government.

While ministers have been booked into separate rooms, officers will stay in groups. The room tariff itself adds up to around Rs 6 lakh while the food bill could be well over Rsu00a0 4.5 lakh since the government has also booked an airlines caterer. There will be Thai, Italian and Chinese dishes apart from the regular vegetarian and non-vegetarian fare. Seafood has been specially ordered, on some ministers' request.

Officials are tightlipped over the entertainment factor in the resort. But, sources say, officers will be kept out of some special programmes arranged only for ministers.

'Deplorable'

Criticising the move, V S Ugrappa, leader of the opposition in the legislative council, said, "The chief minister is misusing taxpayers' money. He is trying to appease his ministers to stave off dissidence on the pretext of a government meeting. It is highly deplorable."

u00a0At one point, there were rumours of the resort meeting being cancelled since the chief minister feared some ministers would stay away out of sheer defiance.u00a0

u00a0"But, the CM is going ahead with the programme and barring a few ministers, all are expected to take part," said a source in the BJP.

u00a0Ministers Murugesh Nirani and R Ashok will not be there as they are away on a foreign tour.

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