Himachal Chief Secretary hosts Holi party, asks govt to foot bill

A controversy has erupted after a lunch party was thrown by HP Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena on Holi for officers at Hotel Holiday Home and the General Administration Department (GAD) was asked to foot its Rs 1.22-lakh bill.

The news of the department being asked to pay for the party hosted by Saxena, barely a fortnight before his retirement on March 31, has gone viral on social media. The issue has snowballed into a political controversy with the opposition BJP accusing officers of having fun at the expense of the cash-strapped HP Government.

Saxena hosted the party at the government-owned Hotel Holiday Home here on March 14 for about 75 guests, including IAS, IPS, Indian Forest Service officers and some other people. However, the bill amounting to Rs 1.22 lakh for the lunch of the guests and staff, including 22 drivers, was sent to the General Administration Department.

When contacted, Saxena said it was normal for the Governor, Chief Minister, Chief Secretary and Deputy Commissioners to host such parties for which the government paid. “There is nothing unusual in the government paying the bill for the party as the Chief Secretary is authorised to host such events. Moreover, it was not a private party for my relatives but for officers,” said Saxena. He added that whenever such a party was organised, food for the staff and drivers was also provided.

In a rare and unusual move, Saxena, who retired on March 31, has been given a six-month extension by the state government.

BJP legislator and former minister Bikram Singh hit out at the Congress regime for allowing officers to host the party at the cost of the state exchequer. “When the debt burden of the state has crossed Rs 1 lakh crore, how can officers be allowed to splurge money from the exchequer on their own merriment,” he said. State chief BJP spokesperson Randhir Sharma sought explanation from the government as to how could the CM allow holding of such parties when the state was on the "brink of bankruptcy".