The Tribune: Dehradun: Monday,
February 27, 2017.
A promotional
video for Uttarakhand tourism, showing Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli, has
got embroiled in a controversy.
A BJP leader and RTI activist, Ajendra Ajay,
has accused the Harish Rawat government of paying Rs 47.19 lakh out of disaster
relief funds to a firm, in which singer Kailash Kher has a stake, for the
tourism video featuring Virat Kohli.
Ajay cited information procured under the
Right to Information (RTI) Act and said Rs 47,19,120 was paid to Kailasa Entertainment
Pvt Ltd for a 60-second audio-visual clip in which the cricketer is seen
promoting tourist destinations in the state.
“The payment was made in June 2015 out of the
funds meant for reconstruction and rehabilitation work in areas devastated by
the June 2013 natural disaster,” Ajay said.
Though meant for Kohli, the payment was made
through Kailasa Entertainment Pvt Ltd, he claimed. Interestingly, Kailash Kher
was also given Rs.6.33 crore for making a television serial on the Kedarnath
shrine.
The BJP has blamed Chief Minister Harish Rawat
of diverting the funds meant for disaster relief and rehabilitation for a
promotional video. Party spokesperson Devender Bhasin asked the Chief Minister
the reason for spending the funds meant for relief and rehabilitation. He said
the Chief Minister has no right to complain of dearth of funds for which he
often held the Centre responsible.
Meanwhile, Harish Rawat said it was the
prerogative of the state government to earmark funds. He accused the BJP of
being negative and said it was not a crime to engage the Indian cricket captain
for the promotion of the Char Dham yatra in the state.
He advised the BJP to file a complaint seeking
an inquiry into the “misuse” of the disaster relief funds.
.JPG)
.JPG)
