New Delhi: Trinamool Congress leader and
Union Minister Sultan Ahmed, who ran up a bill of Rs 37 lakh
for staying in the five-star Hotel Ashok, has moved out after
his party asked him to pay "all the extra expenses" from his
own pocket.
"I have left Ashok Hotel. I am making preparations to
pay the bills," Ahmed told PTI here but did not divulge the
amount.
The Minister of State for Tourism said he had been
allotted an official bungalow "only a few days ago" and was,
therefore, staying in the hotel "as advised by the officials".
Confirming that Ahmed had run up a bill of Rs 37 lakh,
TC Lok Sabha Chief Whip Sudip Bandopadhyay told PTI that Ahmed
"has been asked to pay for all the extra expenses from his own
pocket."
Bandopadhyay said Ahmed was a first-time MP and
Minister and was "asked by Tourism Ministry officials to move
into Ashok Hotel. He was obviously misguided".
He also said the party suspected the CPI(M), Left
Front partners and "even some friendly parties" of being
behind "efforts to defame" it.
According to sources, Ahmed was staying in a luxury
category business suite comprising two rooms, whose going rate
was Rs 20,000 per night. But it was given to the MoS at a rate
of Rs 7,000 a night.
They said the bills have already been referred to the
concerned authorities, indicating the Directorate of Estates
and the Lok Sabha Housing Committee.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, December 02, 2009, 20:23