Putting to rest the allegations of allowing an unregistered body organising a State government funded event, the district administration set up a committee headed by district in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai that will hold the two-day Rani Abbakka Utsav in Asaiguli from February4.
Hitherto, the Rani Abbakka Utsav was being organised by Veera Rani Abbakka Utsava Samiti.
For the last several years, the State government had been releasing grants to the Samiti to conduct the event.
Objections were raised over release of funds to an organisation that was not a registered body.
Moreover, it was also contended that festivals such as Rani Abbakka Utsav should be organised by the Department of Kannada and Culture.
Following this, Deputy Commissioner K.G. Jagadeesha on January 28 issued orders to form a 35-member Abbakka Utsava Organising Committee headed by Mr. Rai.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister U.T. Khader, eight legislators, Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, were among the other members of the organising committee. Eight other committees, each headed by a district official, has been formed for which the State government has released ₹ 50 lakh.
The grant has been divided among these committees .
In a press conference on Thursday, Mr. Khader said in a hurry the invitation of the two-day event was printed in the name of members of the Samiti and did not have names of those in the organising committee.
“As only a few days were left, we did not want to make any changes and print a new invitation,” he said.
