Now, Nilekani to join the austerity drive

New Delhi: Nandan Nilekani, chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India, is the latest to join a host of politicians taking to austerity and is likely to shift to the modest Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi from a five-star hotel.

Sources close to Nilekani said the founder of Infosys is exploring options for relocating from the Hotel Oberoi, where he was staying, as is yet to get his official residence.

They said Nilekani, who is now in Bangalore, is expected to come back to the national capital on Tuesday and likely to take a call on his next residence.

Of the many options that his office is looking at, the modest Karnataka Bhavan is likely to be on his priority list, they said.

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and his deputy Shashi Tharoor left their temporary accommodation in five-star hotels after Congress president Sonia Gandhi is believed to
have intervened.

The issue cropped up after a media exposure that the two ministers were staying in five-star hotels after which Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had said he has asked them to vacate from the hotels and stay in their respective State Bhavans.