Express News Service
AHMEDABAD: Even as the scene of rebellion in the Shiv Sena has moved from Maharashtra to Assam, Surat continues to be a venue for unfinished business. The rebel MLAs from Maharashtra had first arrived in the Gujarat town, and stayed here for a few hours in a hotel before taking a chartered flight to Guwahati. However, the process followed for the booking and payment for their accommodation is raising questions. According to sources, the hotel bill is still pending. The booking was apparently done to block 35 rooms, but no names were disclosed, with the rooms being booked under names like ‘Mr. A’ for a single room and ‘Mr. and Mrs. A and B’ for a double room. No documents were kept for record purposes. Also, even in a double-occupancy room, only one MLA stayed.
Sources said the booking was done by a government official, who called a high-ranking hotel official. When the rebel MLAs arrived at the hotel, no paperwork was done during check-in, or check-out. The bill too has been kept on hold.
“A senior staffer of the hotel got a call from a government official, and the latter’s reference has been written on the bill,” said a source. “The hotel staff was also kept away from the legislators, while some seniors handled their orders.”
