'Cost a few thousands, income crores’

Bangalore Mirror: Bangalore: Thursday, 07 August 2014.

RTI activist complains to Lokayukta that Mysore Udyana Kala Sangha illegally collects hefty sums in gate fees for Lalbagh flower show which it pockets.

Lalbagh Botanical Garden traditionally marks Independence Day and Republic Day with a flower show, but just ahead of this year's Independence Day celebrations, activists have raised a stink pertaining to gate fees collected during the show. Mysore Udyana Kala Sangha (The Mysore Horticultural Society) has been organising the flower show at the Glass House for decades and activists say that the society makes massive 'scam-like' returns on its investment.

Activists allege that while the society pays the government a few thousand rupees Rs 1,000 per day to conduct the show, it illegally collects a hefty sum in gate fees. Information obtained under RTI shows the society had collected Rs 1.02 crore through entry fees alone for the Republic Day flower show this year. They allege that none of this has gone to the government. A complaint has been filed with the Lokayukta (on July 30) and a probe has been initiated.

"Collecting gate fee for the flower show during Republic Day and Independence Day is illegal," Veeresh Bellur, an RTI activist told Bangalore Mirror. "Mysore Udyana Kala Sangha was never empowered by the state government to collect gate fee. Despite this, they charge (visitors) exorbitantly and none of this revenue goes to the state government." Over the years, the show has been held for between seven and nine days. This year it is scheduled to run from August 8to August 17. While entry fee at Lalbagh is ordinarily Rs 5 per adult, it is increased to Rs 40 to Rs 50 on flower show days.

The complainant, Thimma Reddy, another RTI activist, alleged that the society was making huge profits at the expense of the government. "There is no government order stating that the society can collect gate fee," Reddy said. "The amount illegally collected as gate fee is being credited to the account of the society and not the government. This amount should be credited to the government as there is no order empowering the society to transfer the amount to the account of the society either."

The fee of Rs 1,000 per day which the society has to pay the government was set in 1999. Activists say it has not been revised since then. In 1979, ostensibly to maximise gate collections, the society had written to the government requesting that only the main gate to Lalbagh to be kept open during the days of the show. The government acquiesced and since then, all gates except the main gate remain closed on show days.

"The society is using state infrastructure to make a profit," Bellur alleged. "In 2013 alone, they collected Rs 1,02,10,410 through gate fees," Veeresh said. In his complaint to the Lokayukta, Reddy also alleges "other irregularities" in the society.

"Dr DL Maheshwar, director of horticulture is the ex-officio president of the society and J Gunavantha, deputy director, is the ex-officio secretary," Reddy said. "Their term expired two years ago. Elections to the managing committee has not been conducted so far. There are also complaints of misappropriation of funds by the office bearers of the society." The additional registrar of enquiries, who has initiated a probe, is believed to have sought the director horticulture department's reply on the allegations.

However, top brass of the Mysore Udyana Kala Sangha have refuted the charges. "We have not received anything from Lokayukta so far," J Gunavantha, ex officio secretary, said. "The society will present its stand at the appropriate time. At this point, we don't even know what the allegations are. But I can say there are no irregularities of any sort. The charge that all the profit goes to society is not true as one-third of the profit goes to the government. However the society will provide documentary evidence when the time comes."