50 officials head to resort and spa for welfare workshop

Given the alleged breach of protocol – not to mention the glaring irony – social activists are demanding an administrative-financial audit of the government institution that organised the programme. They also want action to be taken against the officials for flouting government norms

MUMBAI: The state social justice department is facing flak for checking more than 50 of its officials into a private resort and spa in Lonavala for a brainstorming session on government welfare schemes – even as state guidelines say such training programmes should be conducted at government-run training centres, not luxury getaways. The estimated price tag of this summer interlude: ₹20 lakh.

50 officials head to resort and spa for welfare workshop

Given the alleged breach of protocol – not to mention the glaring irony – social activists are demanding an administrative-financial audit of the government institution that organised the programme. They also want action to be taken against the officials for flouting government norms.

However, social justice minister Sanjay Shirsat has an interesting take on ‘social justice’. “If MLAs go to foreign countries on study tours, and private firms organise training programmes in hotels, why can’t we have a training workshop at a resort?” he says.

The two-day, state-level workshop was organised by the Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute, or BARTI, at the Ikshana Resort and Spa on May 8 and 9. With the resort boasting a spa, a bar, a game zone and a jacuzzi, among other amenities, each room comes at a cost of ₹9,600, according to booking websites.

BARTI is an autonomous government institute and primarily works for the educational, social and economic empowerment of Scheduled Caste (SC) communities in Maharashtra. Its key activities include competitive exam coaching for UPSC, MPSC, skill development and vocational training, entrepreneurship development, research on social justice, and promoting the ideas and philosophy of Dalit leader Dr B R Ambedkar.

“The training policy drawn up by the state government in 2011 prescribes the norms for such training, budgets and venues. It mandates that the training be held at government institutions at the state, district and tehsil levels,” said an official with the general administration department.

He said the government has its own state-of-the-art training institute, Yashada in Pune, boasting a hostel and dining facility. It receives generous funding every year. “Although there is no proof available as yet, the officers spent over ₹20 lakh at Lonavala,” he said.

Social justice minister Sanjay Shirsat rubbished allegations that his department had broken any rules. “The training programme was for officers from across the state to ensure that efficient services are given to the people. I inaugurated the workshop on Friday… Everything was as per the rules and nobody violated any norms or misbehaved. We had taken all the precautions.”

Vijay Kumbhar, a social activist and watchdog for administrative lapses, said action must be taken against officials who violated the rules. “Bodies such as BARTI, SARTHI and YASHADA, which enjoy autonomous status in the larger public interest, receive very generous government funding, from time to time and often end up spending money on unwarranted activities, as BARTI has allegedly done in this case. These bodies should undergo stringent financial audits to determine whether they are functioning in line with the objectives for which they were established,” said Kumbhar.

The two-day retreat has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition. Maharashtra Congress general secretary Sachin Sawant remarked, “It is surprising that such training sessions are organised by the government at private resorts by spending huge sums when the country is facing an economic crisis. The government is shamelessly flouting its own rules. There should be an inquiry into this.”