Cash-strapped Maharashtra under fire for 'splurging' on lawmakers

MUMBAI: Opposition and activists on Wednesday alleged the cash-strapped state govt "splurged" on a two-day conference of 600 delegates of estimates committees of Parliament and state/UT legislatures whose key role is to monitor whether public funds are being spent effectively as per budgetary provisions. They claimed the meals for the event were privately catered on rented silver platters and that the delegates were put up at luxury hotels in south Mumbai, reports Chaitanya Marpakwar.

RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar alleged that Rs 27 lakh was spent on the meals at the event, each costing Rs 4,500, and silver platters were rented for Rs 550 each.

Jitendra Bhule, principal secretary of the state legislature, did not respond to calls and messages from TOI. A senior legislature official said, "The rates per plate was around Rs 2,500 and not Rs 4,500 as claimed. These are the standard rates for such events. Since it was the monsoon, we had to construct tents for serving meals." Other legislature officials said the plates were not made of silver but were white metal- or silver-coated ones.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Ambadas Danve claimed Speaker and legislative council chairperson hosted multiple meals.