GHMC spends Rs 14 cr for tours and lunches

Believe it or not the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC)’s food expenses and tours in the last five years is Rs 14 crore. As per the RTI information obtained by Lok Satta, the GHMC spent Rs 20 lakh per year for its meetings and the expenditure incurred to organise meetings was Rs 3 crore.

The Lok Satta party workers partook in GHMC’s Rs 5 per meal in golden plates on Monday to show the double standards of the civic body. According to B Sambi Reddy, general secretary, GHMC Lok Satta wing said that the corporators spent Rs 2,000 for lunch per person during the corporation session meetings.

According to RTI information the GHMC corporators spent Rs 42 lakh on food expenses for 21 meetings of the corporation. Solkar Reddy, state general secretary, LSP GHMC said the cost of lunch per person comes to about Rs 1,329 in ITC Kakatiya Grand, Rs 1,246 in Taj Banjara and Rs 500 in Hotel Swagath.

“The Rs 2,000 spent was for working lunch. It goes to show the double standards of the corporators,” he stated. The Lok Satta party has dared former Mayors Karthika Reddy and Majid Hussain for a public debate on the issue. The Lok Satta Party leaders demanded that the Government announce an ACB probe on the matter.

Along with Solkar Reddy other leaders Ganga Bhavani, Surendra Madivada, Gangadhar, Ragahavaiah, Sivaramakrishana, Nanda Kumar Raj, Swamy, Ramunna, Santosh and Sandeep took part in the lunch.