DHNS
 
Bangalore Nov 23: The government has spent about Rs five crore to conduct the Special Legislature session in Belgaum for five days. This includes a massive Rs 47,53,349 spent on food for legislators and officials.

Hold your breath, a sum of Rs 1.46 lakh has been spent for purchasing towels alone. Well, Rs 77,000 was spent for purchasing the famous local sweets, Kunda from Belgaum and Kardant from Gokak.

Imagine the volume of postal correspondence during the session, as postal stamps to the tune of Rs 60,000 have been purchased. A huge sum of Rs 14.12 lakh has been spent on stationery including copying, according to the information on expenditure obtained from the office of the Belgaum Deputy Commissioner by social worker Bhimappa Gundappa Gadad of Gokak taluk under the Right to Information Act.

Of course, people of Belgaum have something to cheer about as Rs 2.26 crore has been spent on upgrading roads, upgrading the facilities at the rural bus-stand in Belgaum and improving the condition of hospitals and government guest houses. What tops the list of arrangements is the expenditure of Rs 1.26 crore for setting up Assembly and Council halls. Of this expenditure, a sum of Rs 1.65 lakh has been spent for erecting the two stages.

The telephone bills have touched a whopping Rs 2.53 lakh, while Rs 2.31 lakh has been spent on computers and Internet. Security too has come with a heavy price as Rs 31.91 lakh has been spent for providing police bandobust.

Expenditure list (In Rs)

Food 47,53,349
Kunda & Kardant 77,000
Towels 1,46,492
Hall & Stage arrangements 1,26,34,960
Installation of computers 2,31,112
Telephone 2,53,752
Stamps 60,000
Police bandobust 31,91,670
Electricity supply 11,44,651
Rural Bus-stand improvement 4,55,000
Road improvement 2,10,93,380
Guest House, Hospital improvement 10,62,000
Cultural programmes 4,75,000
Vehicle hiring & fuel charges 10,87,133
Stationery, copying, memento 14,12,121
Accommodation 04,49,227
Flower decoration 73,300.