Manaviyam: Lok Ayukta seeks accounts

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MARCH 9. Acting on a complaint alleging huge wastage of funds by the Manaviyam Cultural Mission, the State Lok Ayukta has directed that all accounts relating to the expenditure of funds by the mission be produced before it by March 14.

The order was passed by a Division Bench comprising the Lok Ayukta, Mr. P.C. Balakrishna Menon, and the Upa Lok Ayukta, Mr. V. Bhaskaran Nambiar, on the basis of a public interest petition filed by Mr. Sathyavan Kottarakkara, a social worker and resident of Kollam district, and Mr. V. Sumedhan, a resident of Ambalamukku in the city.

The complaint said the Government had sanctioned the release of Rs. 1 crore for the implementation of the Manaviyam programme during the period between November, 1999, and January, 2001. Further, another Rs. 50 lakhs was sanctioned. Contributions were also made through several Government Departments for the programme.

The stated objectives of the mission were the eradication of illiteracy, ushering in gender equality, environment protection, provision of dwellings and drinking water, total hygiene, energy self-sufficiency, reducing malnutrition and provision of land to Adivasis, among other things. The mission also aimed at reviving endangered art forms and ushering in a renaissance in the cultural field.

The court order said the Government Pleader appearing for the Chief Secretary, the Culture Secretary and the mission coordinator, who are the respondents, had prayed for time for filing a counter. However, no counter had been filed so far.

The court wanted to know how much more than the Rs. 1.5-crore had been spent by the mission, the order said. So the entire accounts of the Manaviyam scheme should be produced before the court by March 14. The Government Pleader was allowed time to file a counter and the case was posted for the next hearing on April 4.

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Section  : Southern States
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