Three months ahead of the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, the BJP-led state government spent over Rs 33 crore on two public events attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to documents obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The records detail spending on event arrangements, infrastructure and transportation of attendees.
According to a report by the Deccan Herald, the documents were accessed by Manjunath Hirechowti of the anti-corruption organisation Lanchamukta Karnataka after a nearly three-year effort to obtain the information through RTI.
Rs 18.81 crore spent on Shivamogga airport inauguration
One of the events was the inauguration of the Shivamogga airport on February 27, 2023. The total expenditure for the programme stood at Rs 18.81 crore, according to the RTI documents.
During the event, Prime Minister Modi addressed the gathering and urged people to “vote for a double-engine government in future too.”
As reported by Deccan Herald, a significant portion of the spending went towards mobilising attendees. Around 1,800 buses were hired at a cost of Rs 4.11 crore to transport people from various places to the venue.
More than Rs 1.8 crore was also spent on event infrastructure and arrangements, including a waterproof German-style truss pandal for the main stage and green room, model presentation stalls, and flower decorations for the Prime Minister, the Governor, the chief minister and other dignitaries.
The documents also showed that the Public Works Department obtained an exemption under Section 4(G) of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act for works related to the event.
Belagavi programme cost Rs 14.35 crore
Later the same day, the Prime Minister travelled from Shivamogga to Belagavi by a special flight and then took a helicopter to reach the venue of a roadshow that began around 2.45 pm.
While the air travel expenses were not available, another set of RTI documents showed that the Public Works Department had received government approval to spend ₹14.35 crore on the Belagavi programme, including Rs 2.5 crore for buses to bring attendees.
These expenditure details were reported by Deccan Herald based on documents obtained through the RTI Act.
RTI response received after three years
Hirechowti filed the RTI application seeking details of the Shivamogga event’s expenditure in March 2023, but received the information only in January 2026 after securing a favourable order from the Karnataka Information Commission, Deccan Herald reported.
Speaking to the newspaper, he expressed concern about transparency and the use of public funds for politically significant events held close to elections.
“Public money is not a campaign resource. Development projects must not become platforms for political projection in the months leading up to elections. India needs a statutory pre-election expenditure control mechanism, as there is no financial restraint before the model code of conduct comes into force,” he said.
Ministers respond
Former Public Works minister and BJP leader CC Patil told Deccan Herald that he could not recall the specifics of the expenditure. “I will get the information in this matter and respond,” he said.
Current Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi also told the newspaper that he would review the expenditure but noted that limiting spending for programmes involving the Prime Minister may not be easy.
“After I took over, I have put an end to the exemptions from the KTPP Act. However, limiting expenditure in the case of prime ministers may be difficult. I will look into the expenditure files and decide on the matter,” he said.
