Comptroller and Auditor General slams Rajya Sabha MPs for 'lavish stays' in 5-star hotels

NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha members have incurred huge expenditure on "lavish stay" in five-star hotels during study tours of parliamentary committees, according to revelations in a Comptroller and Auditor General report under finalisation that fly in the face of claims of austerity by successive governments.

As per 2005 Rajya Sabha guidelines, the arrangement of accommodation for the committee and the officers during study tour shall be made in government accommodation such as guest houses of public sector units, MLA hostels and circuit houses.

Where guest house is not available, arrangements are to be made in a government-owned hotel. This was reiterated in 2011, when the secretariat noticed that the committees were continuing to expend "beyond the scope of the guidelines".

The CAG has found out that Rajya Sabha secretariat overstepped these rules in sanctioning "huge expenditure" by MPs and its officials on study tours between 2011 and 2013.

There are 20 parliamentary committees in the upper house.

Citing examples of how Rajya Sabha members lavishly spent on their stay, the CAG report listed study tours of the committee of subordination legislation during 2011 and 2012, when it made four visits and the members stayed in five-star hotels such as Taj West End in Bangalore, Le Royal Meridian, Chennai and The Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai. Since the report is yet to be finalised, the total cost by all the committees on lavish accommodation is not available.

CAG further pointed out that "poor coordination between Rajya Sabha TV and Lok Sabha TV led to a decision of setting up of an independent RS TV channel at cost of Rs 23.84 crore."