Hyderabad: A breakfast of one idli, a banana and a glass of milk costs Rs 450, while a lunch of curry-rice costs Rs 1,350. That is what was spent on ministers, officers, district collectors, commissioners and their families on Thursday. The government calls it yoga with a difference!
The three-day jamboree called ‘Inner engineering for Joyful Living’, kicked off with nearly 80 per cent turnout of ministers and officers of AP with their families. But the yoga-cum-art of leading a skilful life programme costs the state exchequer a whopping Rs 1.8 crore.
The government, however, is currently facing its worst-ever financial crisis. Finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu stopped payments from the treasury only 48 hours ago, but this expense has been sanctioned to ‘improve the work efficiency.’
Breakfast, lunch, tea, snacks were served not only to families of ministers and officials but also their personal secretaries, drivers and others. Despite the spiritual guru Jaggi Vasudev’s instruction to the participant officers and ministers to confine themselves to the norms laid out on food and have only one plate each. Some officials, were unable to control their appetite. One minister even asked his PA to get a packet for home.
The government spent nearly Rs 28 lakh on accommodation at Novotel Hotel in Madhapur, excluding food and other expenses. The first day session conducted at the cyber city convention centre cost Rs 9 lakh per day excluding food. The government had organised vehicles to ferry some collectors from districts. Officers and ministers came to the venue in their own vehicle but the petrol bill was added expense incurred by the state.
