No garlands, shawls, memorabilia at government events in Karnataka

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday banned the practice of giving garlands, shawls, flower bouquets, and memorabilia at government events, terming it as an 'unnecessary expenditure'.

The government in a circular said Kannada books can be given instead. Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar issued a circular to this effect on the directions from Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister who chaired a meeting of senior police officials refused to accept a flower bouquet, and said that the practice of giving garland, shawls and bouquets in the name of protocol should be done away with, terming it as "unnecessary expenditure".

Subsequently, the Chief Secretary issued a circular directing not to give garland, shawls, flower bouquets, fruit baskets and memorabilia at meetings and events by the state government and the government-run-institutions.

All department heads and government undertakings have been asked to comply with the directions, it said. Recently, the newly sworn-in Energy and Kannada & Culture Minister V Sunil Kumar had appealed to those coming to greet him not to give garlands and gifts and asked for Kannada books instead, which he would donate to a library in his Karkala constituency.