Indian MPs make merry on tax-payer's money!

Desh Kapoor -

Indian MPs on official assignments should not go for 5 star hotels.  That is the policy.

However, when the terrorists struck on 26-11, 4 MPs were caught in the cross fire.  They were there as part of 15-member Lok Sabha Committee on Subordinate Legislation to hold meetings with the top brass of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd [Get Quote] and other Public Sector Undertakings.

The four MPs were N N Krishnadas (CPI-M), Jaisingrao Gaikwad Patil (NCP), Lal Mani Prasad (BSP) and Bhupendrasinh Solanki (BJP).

The guidelines about the stay are pretty clear:

Attempts have to be made:

  • ‘to make arrangements regarding accommodation for the committee and the officers in a government guest house, including guest house of public undertaking, MLA hostel, circuit house etc., and
  • Where government guest house is not available, arrangements may be made for the stay in a government-owned hotel

All this came out as a result of a Right to Information (RTI) query.