Under attack from oppn MPs, BSY shifts meeting venue

After being criticised for planning to hold a meeting of state MPs at a five-star hotel in the national capital, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday shifted the venue to Karnataka Bhavan.

As per the latest communication sent to the Parliamentarians on Sunday, the CM said that the venue of the scheduled state MPs dinner meeting on August 6 has been shifted to Karnataka Bhavan- 1 from The Leela Palace Hotel.

The letter that was sent to the MPs. (DH Image)

Earlier, the CM came under attack from Opposition party MPs for holding a meeting at a five-star hotel at upmarket Chanakyapuri.

During his proposed meeting with the Parliamentarians from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the CM plans to discuss issues including pending projects, pending grants from the Centre. In the deliberation, the CM will also request the MPs to exert pressure on the Centre to release more grants for taking up the drought relief works as more than 100 taluks have been declared drought-hit.

With the two-hour meeting and dinner for MPs, their assistants and Karnataka Bhavan employees costing around Rs 25 lakh, opposition party MPs have questioned the government on the need for spending a huge amount for the meeting.

There was a great hue and cry when the state government held such meetings at a five-star hotel earlier. Subsequently, the government was forced to hold such meetings at Karnataka Bhavan-1 at Chanakyapuri as part of austerity measure.

JD(S) MP from Hassan Constituency Prajwal Revanna and Congress Rajya Sabha MP K.C. Ramamurthy urged the BJP government to shift the venue to Karnataka Bhavan instead of a five-star hotel to reduce the unwanted expenditure.

“When the state is facing severe drought and government is struggling to mobilise funds to clear farm loan waiver scheme, what is the need for holding the meeting at the luxury hotel,” said Prajwal Revanna.