Home » Karnataka » Karnataka Government Will Pay Dues Of Pm Modis Visit To Mysuru In April 2023 Resolve Issue Amicably

Karnataka government will pay dues of PM Modi’s visit to Mysuru in April 2023, resolve issue amicably

The Minister said that the state government hadn't covered the expenses during PM Modi's visit to Mysuru because MCC was in place.

BySouth First Desk

Published May 27, 2024 | 4:44 PM ⚊ Updated May 27, 2024 | 4:44 PM

PM Modi.

Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre told reporters on Monday, 27 May that the state government will bear the pending hotel bill for when PM Narendra Modi visited Mysuru in April last year.

PM Modi visited Mysuru in April 2023 on a one-day visit, when he inaugurated the “Commemoration of 50 years of Project Tiger” programme. On the same day, he also went on a wildlife safari at Bandipur Tiger Reserve.

During his visit, the PM had resided in Raddison Blu for a night on 9 April. He had also attended the inaugural ceremony at the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) in Mysuru.

#Karantaka: @INCKarnataka government to bear the pending bills of the PM @narendramodi’s event: Minister @eshwar_khandre.

Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment Eshwar Khandre told reporters: “The Prime Minister had visited #Mysuru and Bandipur for the commemoration of… pic.twitter.com/1egN23Pkte

— South First (@TheSouthfirst) May 27, 2024

Radison Blu owed ₹80 lakh

Following reports that the hotel has threatened to find legal recourse to recover the pending due, Khandre said he will try to resolve the issue amicably. According to the minister, a total of ₹6.33 crore was spent on the event and while the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has paid ₹3 crore to the state, the remaining is yet to be paid.

However, the payment due to the hotel is ₹80 lakh, which the minister assured that the state government will cover.

Talking about it to reporters, he said, “The state government will bear the balance of the hospitality bill of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who arrived in Mysore to participate in a program organized in April 2023 as part of the 50th anniversary of Tiger Project.”

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Why the bill is still pending

He said that it is a tradition for the state government to host dignitaries like the PM and President when they attend such events. Elaborating on it, the minister said, “It is a tradition of the state government to host dignitaries like the Prime Minister and the President when they arrive. But in April last year, as the assembly elections were held in the state, the state government did not play any role in the planning of this program as the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) was in force.”

“The state will clear the pending bill of Mysuru’s Raddison Blu Hotel. The event held in April 2023 was entirely organized by the National Tiger Conservation Authority,” added Minister Khandre.

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The minister said that “Radisson Blu Hotel in Mysore has written a letter to the Forest Department, which had given local support to the organization of the program, to clear the pending bills,” and assured that the government will pay the remaining ₹80 lakh to the hotel.

He clarified that the NTCA had earlier said that it will bear the entire cost of PM Modi’s visit. However, Khandre said, “The NTCA has not paid this amount (hotel cost) even though the officials of our department have written many letters and spoken about this over the phone. Now the matter has come to my attention. I will try to resolve it amicably.”

(Edited by Neena)