http://indiatoday.
AI pays for Dalit panel's 5-star spree
New Delhi February 16, 2010
It is the best freebie anybody could have hoped for. The National
Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) splurged Rs 5.72 lakh of public
money in December 2009 by staying in a Mumbai luxury hotel, availing
its various five star facilities and then roaming around the financial
capital in luxury cars.
In what is surely a blatant violation of ethics and a case of conflict
of interest, the NCSC bills were paid for by Air India, one of the
companies against which the scheduled castes commission was in Mumbai
for three days to review scheduled caste employees cases. The
delegation included NCSC chairman Buta Singh, vice-chairman N. M.
Kamble, commission member Mahendra Bodh, Kamble's private secretary R.
C. Kapoor, assistant director Kaushal Kumar and Singh's personal staff
member Bhoovan Chandra. They stayed at The Trident, a luxury hotel at
Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex and their expenses included room rent,
food, travelling and usage of spa facilities.
On December 28, the delegation checked into some of the hotel's mid-
segment rooms, which attracted a maximum tariff of Rs 22,500 per
night. Kamble has a house in Mumbai. But he decided instead to live in
five- star comfort with his colleagues. The accepted practice for any
Central delegation is to stay at government guest houses in the city
of visit.
When asked about the alleged flouting of travel rules and ethics,
Singh accepted that he and other NCSC members had visited Mumbai to
review cases of Air India and other public sector units. "There were
cases involving other government institutions also," he said. He said
staying at luxurious hotels was not unusual. "We are not under the
government of India," he remarked. His colleague Kamble said, " We did
not book the hotel rooms. This is all humbug." Singh added that
whenever the NCSC found a facility at a circuit house vacant, " we
stay there." This time, too, he said, he was booked somewhere else,
"but I left that hotel. In any case, the arrangements for travel and
accommodation are made by the institutions where we go to review
scheduled castes- related matters."Singh denied any conflict of
inter-NCSC vice-chairman ests as Air India had apparently taken
permission from the NCSC to host him and his team during their Mumbai
trip. But he did not clarify why his office gave permission to an
organisation that was being reviewed by the NCSC to host the
investigating authority.
M AIL T ODAY investigations show that two persons stayed in the room
(No 1021) booked under NCSC member Mahendra Bodh's name. The receipt
for this room shows " 2" under the sub- head " No of guests".
Interestingly, another room (No 1017) was booked under Bodh's name. In
fact, Bodh's expenses of Rs 15,200 on using the hotel's spa and
fitness centre facilities were billed to the latter room.
Bodh denied using the hotel's spa. " I have not used it," he said.
" It is the institution which takes care of the official trips." NCSC
vice- chairman's private secretary R. C. Kapoor took his wife for the
official trip. Two rooms (Nos 948 and 955) were booked under the name
of " Mr and Mrs R. C. Kapoor" at the rate of Rs 13,000 and Rs 13,250
respectively per night.
Kaushal Kumar, believed to be Singh's confidant, also had booked a
room for two persons. The hotel records do not mention who stayed with
him. During the NCSC delegation's Mumbai stay (December 28- 31), Air
India had to shell out more than Rs 4.5 lakh on accommodation, food
and for the spa.
According to government guidelines on travel allowance, the luxury
hotel stay of the three junior NCSC officials is also a violation.
Government rules specify that Kapoor, Kumar and Chandra - who are at
the level of under- secretary and below - can spend only Rs 1500 per
day on official stay. Their travel and food bills Enjoy 5- star
comfort during probe tour whether working conditions at Air India were
conducive to scheduled caste employees, Singh and his men have not
prepared any action- taken report. In fact, Singh, during his three-
year tenure as NCSC chairman has not submitted a single annual report
on the status of scheduled castes to the President, as he is supposed
to as per the mandate given to him. His term comes to an end in May
this year.
According to another NCSC member, Satya Bahin, the delegation that
visited Mumbai has " undertaken several such secret visits". She has
written a confidential letter to the secretary of the Union social
justice and empowerment ministry detailing her allegations.
They "have always stayed in 5/ 7 star hotels and avoided government
accommodations"
several trips Singh has made to Kolkata and Mumbai since December last
to review banks and public sector units.
"Another visit was made from December 24, 2009, to January 3, 2010, to
Mumbai and Shirdi" and all of them went on the tour with their
respective families, she has alleged in the letter.
"At Mumbai, accommodation for all these were arranged in seven- star
hotels by Air India which is a sinking organisation, and at Shirdi by
the ONGC," she wrote.
Sources said Singh should have been aware that his lavish spending
violates Chapter II of Rules of Procedure of the NCSC, which clearly
states that "(the NCSC) members will observe the norms laid down by
the state governments regarding security/ travel/ accommodation, etc.
during such tours."
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