PANJIM: A whopping Rs 23.51 lakh were spent on the inaugural function of the newly renovated ‘Dharohar’- the National Museum of Customs & Commissionerate of the Central Goods & Services Tax at Panjim, held on June 11. The event was attended by the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

This was revealed in the information furnished to social activist Adv Aires Rodrigues under the RTI Act by the Goa Commissionerate of GST.

Rodrigues said that as per the file notings the total expenditure for that inaugural event was initially estimated as Rs 9, 75,000 which was later revised to Rs 10, 75,000 and yet again further revised to Rs 19, 62,500. “Ultimately an amount of Rs 23.51 lakhs were spent,” he said.

The data further revealed that a total of Rs 12, 16, 544 was paid to the event management company Vinsan Graphics, who spend almost Rs 1, 18, 200 on the flower décor of the stage.

A further amount of Rs 2, 36,012 was spent on flags, jute bags, customised tiles besides Cashew nuts and Kokam Sharbat.