New Delhi: The Government depository or toshakhana routinely deposits gifts received from various domestic or unknown sources by top dignitaries and government officials. Among several items worth over Rs 2 lakh which have been submitted there by dignitaries ranging from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to former foreign secretary S. Jaishankar in the last two years, are two gold biscuits which finance secretary Hasmukh Adhia had deposited in the toshakhana on November 8, 2016, the day the decision of demonetisation was announced.
This newspaper has a copy of the list of items deposited in the toshakhana between January 2016 and April 2018 by various dignitaries and government officials.
According to it, the toshakhana received two gold biscuits of 20 grams each having a combined value of Rs 1,26,000 from Mr Adhia on November 8, 2016. He was the revenue secretary at that time.
The bureaucrat apart from depositing the two gold biscuits, had also deposited a 50 grams silver coin worth Rs 2,100 and one i-phone 7 worth Rs 46,000 on the aforementiond date, as per the toshakhana records.
Apart from this, during the period of two years, the toshakhana also received a table lamp worth Rs 4,000 from the Prime Minister on March 17, 2016, while former foreign secretary Mr Jaishankar between January 2017 and January 2018, deposited a copy of the Bhagwad Gita (worth Rs 36,000 on January 9, 2017), an iron statue of a peacock worth Rs 2,500 (on August 2, 2017) and a wooden Veena replica of value Rs 2,000 on January 31, 2018, there.
The Government Toshakhana is a facility which is run by the ministry of external affairs (MEA), where gifts from domestic as well as unknown sources, received by top dignitaries and senior government officials are deposited.
