Social activists Dr Nutan Thakur wrote to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav asking to recover expenses incurred on gathering television and film stars to watch a cricket match between IAS XI and Chief Ministers XI in lucknow on Sunday.
Terming the expenses made by the UP government for the cricket match as prima facie illegal, activist Dr Nutan Thakur has asked the CM to get the expenditure evaluated by Principal Secretary, Finance and the funds be recovered from the pockets of the responsible officers.
In a letter to the CM sent on Tuesday, Dr Thakur said that the cricket match was a completely private affair and was not a government function and hence no public money should have been splurged on it. Dr Thakur pointed out, “Not only were the arrangements for the match lavish, but many TV stars like Mandira Bedi, Poonam Pandey, Sameeksha, Veera, Jaideep Ahlawat, luv Patra, Harshali and Swati were invited. Of these Mandira Bedi herself allegedly cost Rs. 20 lakh while Poonam Pandey cost Rs. 12 lakh to the state exchequer.”
She said that the entire event cost a few crore rupees, which is not legally permissible and hence responsible officers of the UPSIDC and other agencies who organised the event be asked to pay back the money spent on the private function.