New Delhi: The issue of Planning Commission spending Rs 35 lakh on two toilets on Wednesday galvanized the opposition parties into attacking the government for talking about austerity and engaging in such "wasteful" expenditure while Congress said public money should be used carefully.
"The Planning Commission says those earning above Rs 32 per day are rich. And it has gone ahead and spent Rs 35 lakh on two toilets. The Prime Minister heads the Planning Commission which is today filled with people who have only read about poverty in textbooks," BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.
BJP wanted to know what happened to all the announcements made by the government to its ministers to engage in cost-cutting and austerity as the GDP growth has hit a nine-year low of 5.3 per cent.
"Farmers are committing suicides due to debts here. Such wasteful expenditure should stop," Hussain said.
JD(U) spokesperson Shivanand Tiwari asked why so much money was spent on two "exclusive" toilets meant only for some senior officials when the government has taken a decision on not holding programmes in five-star hotels, to restrict foreign trips and advised travelling economy class.
"In between all this, we hear this news that Rs 35 lakh has been spent on two toilets which cannot be used by everybody," he said.
Congress also sought to know details of this expenditure.
"Government funds needed to be spent carefully as it is public money. As far as the question of the two toilets, we do not have information. You better ask the Planning Commission", party spokesman Rashid Alvi told reporters.
PTI
