The Jharkhand government has allocated Rs.29.4 million in its 2005-06 budget to meet expenses of state guests as against Rs.2.7 million allocated in 2004-05, an official told.

The expenses include lodging, food and such other expenditure. The Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state seems to be taking the old Hindu belief "Atithi Devo Bhava" (A guest is akin to God) rather seriously and welcoming the guests generously.

"The budget provision was increased as lodging expenses of state guests have increased manifold," the official said.

There are no guesthouses available at present, so the guests stay at expensive hotels in the state capital. When Jharkhand came into existence, there was only one guesthouse, which was near the Birsa Munda central jail. But it was converted into the official residence of a state minister, he said.

Then a government building near the Mohrabadi ground was converted into a guesthouse. But this was also converted into the official residence of former chief minister Babulal Marandi who resides at the place for barely 50 days in a year, he added.

The state faces double deficit as it spends money on the upkeep of guesthouses converted into official residences along with bearing expenses of hotels.

Even in New Delhi, the Jharkhand government has hired a hotel to convert it into Jharkhand Bhavan at more than Rs.1 million as annual rent, the official said.