Catering cost at Maharashtra CM, deputy CM homes reach Rs 6.5 crore annually; Details inside
government has appointed Chhatradhari Caterers to provide food and beverages at Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's official residence 'Devgiri'. The catering contract is set to run until April 2025, with an annual cost of Rs 1.5 crore.
This decision follows similar appointments made ten months ago for chief minister Eknath Shinde's official residence 'Varsha'and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis's 'Sagar' at an estimated cost of about Rs 5 crore annually.
Around Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 3.5 crore, respectively, are spent on catering at Fadnavis's and Shinde's homes.
With the addition of Devgiri, the total annual catering cost for all three residences reaches around Rs 6.5 crore.
Ajit Pawar had previously raised concerns about the substantial food and drinks bill at Varsha, which amounted to Rs 2.68 crore in just four months.
A government resolution (GR) designating two caterers, Chhatradhari Caterers and Shri Sukh Sagar Hospitality, to provide food and beverages at Shinde and Fadnavis's homes was issued by the state's general administration department (GAD) last year.
The caterer at Devgiri will provide 44 standard items as part of the order, which includes a variety of hot and cold beverages and snacks like the wada sambhar and tomato omelette (Rs 28), masala dosa (Rs 20), and vegetarian and chicken sandwiches (Rs 18–20). Other items include south Indian items like dahi vada (Rs 15), sabudana wada (Rs 15), and Maharashtrian kachori (Rs 15).
The caterers will also serve vegetarian and non-vegetarian thali (Rs 75 and Rs 98), vegetarian and non-vegetarian chicken and mutton biryani (Rs 25 and Rs 35), and a buffet (Rs 160) for the visitors in addition to these snacks.
Fruit salad is also on the list (Rs 15).
