Is Rs 36,000 a night austere?

Despite claims of an 'austerity drive' by the United Progressive Alliance government and the Congress party, some Union ministers appeared to prefer upmarket accommodation during their official visits to the United States.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Kamal Nath chose the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel in New York, where rooms can cost around Rs 36,000 a night.

When asked if the ministers are following the austerity measures, Nath said they were.

Union Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde was likely staying at the Radisson in New York. Shinde was in New York to address prospective investors in India's power sector.

Shinde confirmed that the ministers were following the austerity measures. "We are traveling economy class," he said, but later admitted that he flew business class to the US.

Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh, who was in the US to attend the United Nations Climate Change Summit, and Foreign Minister S M Krishna, both stayed at the New York Palace hotel, where rooms can cost between Rs 26,000 to Rs 34,000 a night.

Krishna is in the US to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

Other officials, who also traveled to the US in recent days, include Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister T K A Nair, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, Chief Economic Advisor to the finance ministry Dr Arvind Virmani; Secretary, department of heavy industries, ministry of heavy industries and public enterprises, Dr S N Dash; Secretary, ministry of road transport Dr Brahm Dutt; Secretary, department of industrial policy and promotion, ministry of commerce Ajay Shankar; Securities and Exchange Board of India Chairman C B Bhave, Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India Shyamala Gopinath; Chairman, National Highways Authority of India Brijeshwar Singh; Chairman, Coal India Ltd S K Chaturvedi. However, information about their accommodation in the US could not be confirmed.