Manik Dey, Tripura's power minister will not be attending the Power Ministers' Conference in South Goa.
Tripura Power Minister Manik Dey will abstain from the two-day Power Ministers' conference slated to begin from today in South Goa on the plea that the Centre has declined to pay their accommodation cost.
The Union Ministry of Power had officially informed the state Power minister's office in Agartala that it would arrange accommodation in star category hotel for the minister and his officials, but the states concerned have to bear the hotel cost, officials said today.
The state power secretary informed the union power secretary three days ago that the DA of the ministers of a state was Rs 600 only, which would not be enough to bear the cost of accommodation in a hotel in South Goa and the state government would not pay the cost of a star category hotel accommodation, they said.
Earlier, when such meetings were held outside Delhi, all costs were borne by the Centre and when such meetings were held in Delhi the ministers concerned stayed at their respective state guest houses, senior state government officials said.
Mr Dey, who has been holding the post of state power minister for the last thirteen and half years had never experienced such a situation, the officials added.