GST Department Overspends Rs.38 Lakh on Hotel for Training Programme; Ignoring State's Orders:

GST Department Overspends Rs.38 Lakh on Hotel for Training Programme; Ignoring State's Orders The state government has stirred controversy by spending Rs.46.65 lakh on a six-day training program for GST Department officers. A whopping 80% of this amount is being used for accommodation in luxury hotels. The training which started on May 20 at a private engineering college in Kochi, is for 210 officers from the Enforcement Wing of the department. Of the total expenditure, Rs.38.10 lakh is allocated for their accommodation alone. Additionally, Rs.4.15 lakh was spent on booking the training hall, Rs.2 lakh on transportation and Rs.2.30 lakh for the trainers. However, the Finance Department issued a directive in August 2023 prohibiting government institutions from choosing five-star hotels for training programs. The directive issued by Finance Principal Secretary Raveendran Kumar Agarwal stated that government training programs should be conducted at their own facilities or other government establishments if their facilities were insufficient.