NEW DELHI, Mar 29: The Assam government spent ₹ 1.1 crore from a tiger conservation fund to pay for food, tents, carpets, and other things during former president Ram Nath Kovind’s visit to Kaziranga National Park last year.
The information was revealed in response to an RTI query by activist Rohit Choudhury. In its response, the Kaziranga field director’s office said that ₹ 1.1 crore was spent during the ex-President’s visit. The amount was taken from Kaziranga Tiger Conservation Foundation as a grant.
The foundation is funded through the elephant and jeep safaris that the national park runs. Assam has 2 other such foundations aimed at conserving tigers – at the Manas and Nameri reserves.
The money taken from the Kaziranga foundation as grant in aid was used to pay for food and renovation of halls, tents, and mementos during ex-President Kovind’s visit.
A total of ₹ 2,43,768 was spent on food on February 20, shows the RTI reply. Another ₹ 50,000 were spent for tea on February 26. It showed Rs 97,940 as expense to purchase an air purifier, while a retroreflective board and memento for the ex-President cost ₹ 6.2 lakhs.
Mr Choudhury wrote to the state chief secretary about the alleged diversion of funds last month, citing the Kaziranga field director’s reply to his RTI petition, which he had filed on May 18, 2022.
“Besides the 1.1 crores that was spent from the tiger foundation’s corpus on the President’s visit, another ₹ 51 lakh was diverted from a general wildlife fund,” Mr Choudhury stated in the letter.
(Manas Dasgupta)