Guwahati:
The Assam authorities spent Rs 1.1 crore from a tiger conservation fund to pay for meals, tents, carpets, and different issues throughout ex-President Ram Nath Kovind’s go to to Kaziranga Nationwide Park final 12 months.
The knowledge was revealed in response to an RTI question by activist Rohit Choudhury.
In its response, the Kaziranga area director’s workplace stated that Rs 1.1 crore was spent through the President’s go to. The quantity was taken from Kaziranga Tiger Conservation Basis as a grant.
The muse is funded by means of the elephant and jeep safaris that the nationwide park runs. Assam has 2 different such foundations aimed toward conserving tigers – on the Manas and Nameri reserves.
The cash taken from the Kaziranga basis as grant in support was used to pay for meals and renovation of halls, tents, and mementos throughout President Kovind’s go to.
A complete of Rs 2,43,768 was spent on meals on February 20, reveals the RTI reply, a duplicate of which has been accessed by Ednbox. One other Rs 50,000 have been spent for tea on February 26.
Rs 97,940 have been listed as expense to buy an air air purifier, whereas a retroreflective board and memento for the President price Rs 6.2 lakhs.
Mr Choudhury wrote to the state chief secretary concerning the alleged diversion of funds final month, citing the Kaziranga area director’s reply to his RTI petition, which he had filed on Could 18, 2022.
“Apart from the 1.1 crores that was spent from the tiger basis’s corpus on the President’s go to, one other Rs 51 lakh was diverted from a common wildlife fund,” Mr Choudhury acknowledged within the letter.
