Bengaluru, 25 May

Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre said that the hospitality bill of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived at Radisson Blu Plaza in Mysuru last year, which runs up to Rs 80 lakh, will be settled amicably, on Saturday.

Following media reports that the hotel where Modi had stayed has threatened to find legal recourse to recover his dues, Khandre said he will try to resolve the issue amicably.

"The cost of the three-day event last year was Rs 6.33 crore. Out of this, Rs 3 crore had been received and still Rs 3.33 crore is due from National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). He said that the stay at star hotel cost was about Rs 80 lakh," Khandre’s office quoted him as saying in a statement.

The minister added that the officials of the forest department were in the committee formed locally to manage the hospitality in the wake of the Prime Minister's visit to the State.

He explained that NTCA had actually said that they would bear the entire cost of the programme. "NTCA has not paid this amount (hotel cost) even though the officials of our department have written many letters and spoke about this over the phone. Now the matter has come to my attention. I will try to resolve it amicably," Khandre said.

This issue stems from Modi's visit to Mysuru for 50th anniversary celebrations of Bandipur Tiger Reserve. The total cost of the event was Rs 6 crore, but only Rs 3 crore has been released till date.