Himachal chief secretary's Holi party sparks controversy over ₹1.2 lakh bill
The party was hosted at Himachal Tourism's flagship hotel, Holiday Home in Shimla, by chief secretary Prabodh Saxena.
A lavish Holi party hosted by Himachal Pradesh's chief secretary, with a bill exceeding ₹1.2 lakh, has sparked controversy.
The event included lunches costing ₹1,000 per plate for IAS officers and their families, and ₹600 for drivers, with the government expected to cover the costs, NDTV reported.
The party was hosted at Himachal Tourism's flagship hotel, Holiday Home in Shimla, by chief secretary Prabodh Saxena, who received a six-month extension after being set to retire on March 31.
The Holi party, hosted for around 75 people including officers and their families, saw food costs reach ₹75,000 before GST. The bill, which also included lunch for 22 drivers at ₹585 per plate and a taxi fare of ₹11,800, totalled ₹1,22,020, the report added.
The hotel management sent the bill to the chief secretary's office, which was allegedly forwarded to the General Administration Department of the Himachal Pradesh government.
The bill, now circulating on social media, has sparked criticism from users, former officers, and the BJP. The opposition party has accused the Congress-led government of wasting taxpayer money while constantly citing a financial crisis.
BJP accuses Congress of wasting taxpayer money
BJP spokesperson Randhir Sharma criticised the Congress government, expressing surprise that officers hosted a Holi party, with the ₹1.22 lakh bill forwarded to the General Administration Department.
“It is surprising that, under the Congress government, officers party and the government has to pay the bill. A party was organised on Holi and officers, their families and staff were invited. The bill of ₹1.22 lakh has been sent to the General Administration Department by the chief secretary,” the report quoted Sharma as saying.
Sharma further criticised the officers, saying, “Officers are wasting government money to enjoy themselves and host parties. The government is not stopping this because they also do the same thing... The BJP seeks that the chief minister (Sukhvinder Sukhu), who talks about reform, should ensure that such things do not happen again,” he added.
Both chief secretary Saxena and the Himachal government have not yet responded, the report said.
