No public money for Sonia visit, please: Achuthanandan

Opposition leader in the Kerala assembly V.S. Achuthanandan Saturday wrote to state Chief Secretary E.K. Bharat Bhushan asking him to keep an eye on expenses incurred on the two-day visit of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

"She is inaugurating two projects of the Congress government here, and she holds no official position. This is a blatant violation of the law, and all the expenses incurred on her visit here should be recovered from the Congress party," Achuthanandan said in his letter to Bhushan.

Gandhi arrives in Kerala Sunday afternoon and is scheduled to inaugurate a zero-landless scheme and a health programme, both of which are official state government programmes.

"People's money just cannot be wasted on her visit, and you, the top most official of the state government, must ensure that no public money is wasted on her visit," Achuthanandan said.

Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to return to the national capital Monday after spending the night at the Kerala Raj Bhavan here.