He quotes officials as saying that 350 journalists were given mementos

The State Secretariat is working in a non-transparent manner, RTI activist Bheemappa Gundappa Gadad alleged in Belagavi on Tuesday. He told presspersons that several of his applications for information on issues such as the winter session of the legislature in Belagavi in 2016 had not been responded to, despite several reminders.

“I sought information on the cost incurred on the Belagavi session. While the Belagavi district administration has promptly responded, the State Secretariat has not,” he said. Mr. Gadad said that ₹ 8.2 crore was spent on the session. Of this, various government agencies are yet to settle bills up to ₹ 2.2 crore. “What is more worrying is that the State government has exempted the expenses of VIPs, including logistics and transport arrangements from the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act,” Mr. Gadad said.

Mr. Gadad also alleged that the Secretariat that hosted a workshop to train journalists, had refused to part with information about the amount spent on buying souvenirs for the delegates. The officers are only saying that around 350 journalists were given mementos, but are declining to give details, he said.

Response to some of his RTI applications about the session have revealed some interesting facts. A total of ₹ 57.99 lakh of public money was spent by VIPs on booking hotel rooms and food.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T.B. Jayachandra has spent around ₹ 1.92 lakh on lodging and ₹ 47,000 on food. Those who spent above ₹ one lakh for rooms include Ministers K.R. Ramesh Kumar, H.K. Patil, Tanveer Sait, Umashree, A. Krishnappa and H. Anjaneya, the former Minister H.Y. Meti and legislators Channabasappa Shivalli and Ivan D’souza. The former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar spent just ₹ 50 on food.

Among the highest spenders on food are the former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy who dished out ₹ 3,352 on sea food in one night, Mr. D’souza ₹ 3,105 on one plate of a dish, and Minister M.R. Seetharam who spent ₹ 564 on breakfast.

Several VIPs stayed in star hotels in Hubballi, despite Belagavi having some of the best hotels and government accommodations, Mr. Gadad remarked.

Among the expenses incurred by the district administration was ₹ 10.22 lakh paid to farmers who let out their land so that the government could prepare a place for organisations to carry out protests while the house was in session.

Yet to be cleared

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner N. Jayaram has clarified that some bills regarding expenses incurred during the 2016 Assembly session are yet to be cleared.

Many hotels had submitted food and hospitality bills to the district administration for payment. They are all under consideration. One such hotel is Eefa Hotel. The bills submitted by it are being studied. To say that the government has paid those is far from the truth, he said in a release.