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And while party chief Mamata Banerjee is fuming, having told him off to pay back the government from his own pocket, the minister has passed the buck on his officers. Ahmed said on Wednesday that his ministry officers insisted he shift from the modest Hotel Samrat to Ashoka, as his new suite – reportedly at Rs 20,000 per day – would be spacious enough to entertain visitors.
The Minister of State for Tourism had also flown business class, according to media reports. “I always fly economy,” he said, adding: “But at times, flight officials upgrade my ticket to business. What can I do about this?”
Sources said the minister had moved out of Samrat where he was originally accommodated till his official home was ready. But Ahmed started staying at the Ashoka Hotel since June 1, reports said.
Ahmed said: “I was staying at Samrat when I was an MP. After I became a minister, officials told me to shift to Ashoka. Both hotels are owned by the Ministry of Tourism. I had a lot of visitors and Samrat’s room was small. I informed the central government as well as the Parliament about the move. The government has agreed to pay. What is the controversy?”
Most other Trinamool MPs are yet to move into their allotted apartments and are either staying at the Samrat or Banga Bhavan.
Trinamool MP Ambika Banerjee was critical of Ahmed. He said: “Such behaviour is unacceptable. Mamata Banerjee has taken the matter seriously. At a time when we are all practising austerity, how can he stay in a five star hotel? I am still without a house in Delhi and am staying at the Banga Bhavan.”
MPs Tapas Paul, Shatabdi Roy and Kabir Suman are staying in Hotel Samrat. Others like Gobindo Chandra Naskar, Suvendu Adhikary, Ratna De Nag, Ambika Banerjee and Sucharu Halder are at Banga Bhavan.
Some have been allotted apartments but are yet to move in.
Tapas Paul said: “I have been allotted a place in North Avenue but have not moved in. We need better accommodation.”
Tamluk MP Suvendu Adhikary said: “I tried to move in to my new apartment but the previous occupant’s wife is still to budge from that house. She said they had spent a lot on decorating the place and would not move out in a hurry.”
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I THINK WITH 37 LAKHS HE WOULD HAVE HELPED THE POOR GIRLS TO GET MARRY AT LEAST MORE THEN 40 TO 50 GIRLS WHO ADULTS AND DUE TO LACK OF POVERTY THEY ARE HOPELESS SO PLEASE DONT SPEND A LOT OF MONEY IN UNNESSERY
Ahmed has been asked to pay the bill from his pocket and he's agreed.If he can cough up so much money at one go how much money has he amassed?Any way, why should he pay?There're so many interested people who whould pay the money to get it back manifold multiplied in future once asked by Didi.Money's no matter to TMC, champion of Ma,Mati and Manus!
Mr Ahmed, your party Trinamool came to power by the vote of villagers and poor people from Bengal. Is this the way you are behaving? WHOSE MONEY BELONGS TO GOVERMENT, ITS OURS. Please talk with some intelligence. Don't give lame execuses!! You have done a mistake and you must pay from your pocket. Please give some respect to Governments money
Misnister says the government has agreed to pay. Can I ask him whose money is government going to pay with. WE the TAXPAYERS MONEY. With all due respect sir, why cant the MP pay himself? He must be making millions. Shame on him that he is indirectly stealing from us.
You sound like a typical policitican who says that its a controversy against him. Was Ahmed born yesterday?
By calling me an idiot,you prove your self belonging to the present politcal activists who have lost all decency and decorum and no restraint on their language.you've every right to differ but no right to use unparliamentary language.Try to behave your self!
You cannot call a person who has reached to a Mister level an Ignorent. If his officers are misguiding him he sud be intelligent enough to scold them and set the example. thats wat they are there for. otherwise y do we need them there. let the officers run the country and others sit at their home ...
Trinamool means grass roots. Austerity or otherwise this expense that too after having known the fate M/s S.M.Krishna &Shasi Tharoor is not excusable. For such instances the concerned should pay from his packet Rahul travelling by train with entourage of security etc is yet another topic. Poor Father of Nation whom these people are supposed to be following would be turning in his grave. Shame on these guys for such expenses. Why he should obey his aides?Lame excuse.
how can he opt for a 5 star hotel if he really wants a spacious room he can do so by taking alternatives instead of spending 37lakhs. will he do so if it is his money. he is wasting our taxes. person who votes for him stays on roads and he on 20000 per day room.
hey if he doesnot know these basic things then what he will know about india and politics. He is simply trying to fool public like us by giving and u get fooled so easilyyyy. sorry to say many indian get fooled with these politicians For God sake dont run behind these politician like animals following the other animal.
Thanks Mr Pal for clarifying on behalf of the minister. So what if he is an ignormous who doesn't happen to know what his own prime minister has been preaching for months? I guess Mr Ahmed was so busy sifting through files in his Rs 20,000 a day suite that he did not know that the country is going through troubled times and that the people find the food shortages and consequent inflation too hard to bear. Poor chap! His boss, Mamata Banerjee has apparently asked him to pay the government. Please, can Mr Ahmed show us his IT Returns before he does so?
Granted, Ahmed was advised by officers. But while checking into a 5-star hotel, did he not for once think of the poor people in his constituency and their daily struggles? Should he not have refused the comforts in respect for their sufferings especially during crisis and food price inflation? Swami Vivekanda slept on the floor in Chicago because he was thinking of the poor people sleeping in India. And look at these politicians -- oh our officers misguided us! Are you a child that you can't think for yourself? Mamata has done the right thing by asking him to pay up.
Ahmed's a first time minister.He's ignorant of twists and turns of administration.If his officers misguide him,what can he do?It might be a deliberate move by his officers to show him in poor light and blemish the image of TMC.There might a deep rooted conspiracy behind this episode.An investigation is warranted.
Not accepted. Let him not say that why S.M.Krishna &Tharoor vacated. Barring all these why such huge expense at Tax payers cost
hey if he doesnot know these basisc things then what he will know about india and politics. He is simply trying to fool public like us by giving and u get fooled so easilyyyy. For God sake dont run behind these politician like animals following the other animal. Please chnage