New Delhi, September 8
Having being exposed by media reports for splurging public money for staying in luxurious five star hotels, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee today ordered external affairs minister SM Krishna and his junior Shashi Tharoor to vacate their five-star suites.
This comes just a day after the government announced a cut of 10 per cent in non-plan expenditure for all ministries. The cut includes complete ban on holding meetings and conferences in five star hotels, leave alone staying in one.
For over three months now, both the ministers have been staying in five-star hotels as their official accommodation is undergoing renovation.
“I have requested both the ministers to vacate hotel rooms”, said Pranab Mukherjee.
While S M Krishna was staying at
ITC Maurya on Sardar Patel Marg, Shahi Tharoor was lodged at Taj Mahal on Man Singh road.
Though they claim to be paying their own hotel bills, neither of them has revealed the cost of their stay. The Presidential suite at the ITC Maurya where guests like George W Bush and Bill Clinton had stayed is believed to command a tariff of about Rs 1 lakh for a night.
The finance minister asked the ministers to move into their respective state bhavans. Krishna has now moved to Foreign Services Institute (FSI) guesthouse, official sources said. Tharoor is staying at an Indian Navy guesthouse.
