Rupees 9 lakh alone to be spent on tissue papers, mosquito repellants and disposable glasses.

BELAGAVI: The government will spend Rs 9 lakh just to supply tissue papers, mosquito coils and disposable water glasses to legislators and ministers in the assembly and council halls during the 10-day monsoon session at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha (SVS) here, beginning June 29.

According to information available from the public works department, the government also sanctioned Rs 11 lakh for flower decorations at the assembly, the council and central halls as well as in front of the rooms of the chief minister, ministers and secretaries. Also, Rs 30 lakh has been sanctioned for housekeeping and cleaning of toilets at SVS. On regular days, the PWD spends Rs 80,000 per day on housekeeping of the building.

The list of such expenditure doesn’t end here. As much as Rs 4.5 lakh has been earmarked for supplying purified water to ministers, legislators and ministers, and Rs 16 lakh will be spent to make ready a permanent helipad near the SVS. Also, Rs 1.71 crore has been sanctioned for erecting pandals and partitions inside and outside the SVS on a rental basis for 10 days, including at the sites of protests, and Rs 20 lakh has been sanctioned for setting up temporary toilets for agitators outside the SVS. This apart, Rs 40 lakh will be spent on creating parking spaces near the main gate of SVS.

RB Damannavar, executive engineer, PWD, denied getting more than the sanctioned grants. “As it’s the monsoon session, we’re taking extra care. We are erecting waterproof pandals and are taking precautions for hygiene,” he said.

RTI activist Bhimappa Gadad said, “It’s a looting of the public exchequer by doubling and tripling the estimates of works. The government must reconsider the grants sanctioned.” Gadad had revealed the lavish expenditure on dinner by ministers during last year’s winter session.

