The Karnataka government is now in talks with a prominent hotelier in Belagavi for the construction of a 100-room hotel, which will be a joint venture, The New Indian Express reported.
Politicians are being forced to stay in budget and high-end hotels in Hubbali and Belgavi during the winter sessions due to the absence of guest houses to accommodate 299 legislators from both houses, the report said.
Secretariat staff and media persons are also accommodated in hotels, which has increased the expense of the session to Rs 16 crore this year. The government had spent Rs 14 crore in 2014 and Rs 11 crore in 2013 during the winter sessions, the TNIE report said.
Earlier, the government had planned to construct homes for the legislators near the Suvarna Vidhana Souda. However, since the maintenance of the SVS is proving to be costly, the plan was put on hold, the report stated.
According to the new plan, the Legislators’ House will have accommodation of 600 sq ft for each individual house and also a 12-acre garden, the report said, while also mentioning that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and PWD Minister HC Mahadevappa has already held informal talks with the hotelier regarding a joint venture.
Hotelier Vittal S Hedge told TNIE that he has offered to give a one-acre plot along the National Highway and is willing to invest 20% of the cost of the project, while the government would bear 80% of the cost.
He has offered to maintain the space for a period of 20 years and the structure would be given to the legislators for use during the sessions, provided that government would transfer the ownership of the property after the 20-year lease period, the report said.