Austerity! Nilekani may shift out of 5-star hotel

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 here from a 5-star hotel.

Sources close to Nilekani said the co-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 5-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 5-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.