State incurs Rs 69.9cr expense for 2022 assembly elections

Panaji: The state government spent Rs 69.9 crore for the 2022 legislative assembly election.
A major chunk of this expenditure — Rs 22.4 crore — was incurred on car rentals. E-tendering for hiring of vehicles was done through GTDC for Rs 19.4 crore, said chief minister Pramod Sawant, who is also minister for elections, in response to a question from Benaulim AAP MLA Venzy Viegas.
The government spent Rs 9 crore on printing and stationery, Rs 3.5 crore on food and beverage, Rs 2.3 crore on hotel stays, and Rs 1.4 crore on pandals.
In addition to this, an expenditure of Rs 31.2 crore was incurred on miscellaneous items including advertisement charges, fuel charges, remuneration, CCTV installation in strong rooms, videography, setting up women polling stations, makeshift arrangements for counting halls, and booking of halls for training, among other expenditures.
The contractors were not chosen on nomination basis, Sawant stated.
E-tendering for printing and binding of draft roll and final roll, supplement, alphabetical roll and hash roll, was carried out for Rs 1.5 crore.
The contract for execution of makeshift arrangements for counting halls at Government Polytechnic, Altinho, was given to M/s Eventers Event Innovators, Panaji, at a cost of Rs 51 lakh.
Ms SSK, Panaji, was given the contract of providing stationery, for Rs 5.8 lakh. The government also spent Rs 2.2 lakh for breakfast, lunch, and tea at the counting hall, and Rs 1.25 lakh for breakfast, dinner, tea, and coffee at the receiving centre at strong room.