Misuse of Manaviyam fund:Lok Ayukta issues notice

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JAN. 13. The Lok Ayuktha has issued notice to the parties concerned in a public interest case filed by two social workers against the reported misutilisation of funds allotted for the Manaviyam Cultural Mission.

The notice was issued by a division bench of the Lok Ayukta including Mr. Justice P.C. Balakrishnan and Mr. T.V. Ramakrishnan.

The complaint filed by Mr. Satyavan Kottarakara and Mr. V. Sumedhan says that the Manaviyam Cultural Mission programme is a discrete attempt to divert public money for unlawful enrichment of the party leaders and their allies.

Alleging financial irregularities, the petition says that the mission did not have any proper plan or account. It alleges that guest houses, halls, theatres and public auditoriums owned by the Government and semi-governmental organisations had been issued free of rent for Manaviyam programmes, resulting in a huge financial loss to the State.

The complaint goes on to say that while the Government had organised programmes by foreign artistes in the name of reviving art forms under the Manaviyam, it had neglected indigenous arts and artistes.

The complainants allege that the ancillary objective of reviving forgotten art forms was given undue prominence and a huge amount spent on this account, when compared to other objectives connected with human existence and reflected in the Directive Principles of the Constitution.

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Section  : Southern States
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