The State government finds several reasons to deny even promised benefits under various schemes to the socially and economically deprived sections of society but it extends its largesse when it comes to free distribution of funds from the exchequer at the expense of tax payers to Kannada organisations.
The government has, through the Department of Kannada and Culture, distributed a huge sum of ₹ 60.51 crore to several Kannada organisations across the State on various occasions, including Rajyotsava, during five-year period from 2011-12 to 2015-16, said RTI activist Bhimappa Gadad, quoting figures he has obtained from the department under the RTI Act.
Who got what?
He told presspersons here on Wednesday that ₹60.51 crore was distributed among 1,169 organisations, of which 402 are in Bengaluru city and Bengaluru Rural district and received a lion’s share of ₹33.33 crore. There are 40 organisations that have received more than ₹ 40 lakh. The organisations in Belagavi district received ₹ 66.55 lakh during the same period.
But, of the 40 organisations, the highest amount of ₹ 2.55 crore was given to secretary, Shivakumar Kala Sangh, Sanehalli, Chitradurga, followed by ₹ 1.32 crore to president, Akhil Bharat Sharan Sahitya Parishat, Jayanagar, Bengaluru, and ₹ 82 lakh to the founder-honorary secretary, Uday Bhanu Kala Sangh, Kempegowda Nagar, Bengaluru.
Mr. Gadad demanded that the government should conduct an inquiry and also tell people if such huge amount of public money being distributed to such organisations had any productive purposes.
