The Karnataka state government has decided to clear an ₹80 lakh pending hotel bill from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mysuru in April 2023. The Radisson Blu hotel hosted PM Modi for two days during his trip to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger, which occurred just before the state assembly elections.
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| Image sources: The daily Guardian |
Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre addressed the issue, explaining that it is customary for the state government to cover expenses for dignitaries such as the Prime Minister and the President when they visit. He noted that the previous government did not handle the Prime Minister’s stay due to the model code of conduct in place at the time. "We will resolve the dispute by paying all outstanding bills," Khandre assured.
A report by The Hindu had previously highlighted that the Karnataka Forest Department was instructed to organize the Project Tiger 50th anniversary event from April 9 to 11, with an estimated cost of ₹3 crore. The union government promised to fully fund this amount. However, due to time constraints, the total cost escalated to ₹6.33 crore, while the union government provided only ₹3 crore.
The finance department of Radisson Blu hotel had repeatedly reminded authorities about the pending ₹80.6 lakh bill for PM Modi's stay but received no response. Eventually, the hotel management threatened legal action if the bills were not settled by June 1, 2024.
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