Maharashtra Chief Minister defends use of relief funds for dance contest

He added that the funds were not misused in any way. In his RTI, Galgali had sought information from the CM Relief Fund desk about the assistance provided by it to the Sachivalaya Gymkhana.

The Chief Minister granted Rs 8 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to a government employees dance group’s trip to Thailand, an RTI query has revealed.

Following the criticism from all quarters, the CM office clarified that the programme in Bangkok was not a commercial event but was performing cultural art competition.

Registered in 1967 with the charity commissioner, the CM’s relief fund can be used for funding cultural activities, the official said even as Fadnavis came under fire over the grating of aid to the dance troupe. “Common man from all walks of life including students are chipping in their best to the CM Relief Fund so as to enable the CM and the government to provide maximum relief to the population hit by the calamity”, he said maintaining that it was a clear violation of the rules of the Relief Fund as reported by the Indian Express. It was found that Fadnavis had sanctioned the sum that was transferred to Sachivalaya Gymkhana for the dance contest. The fund used here is neither from drought relief nor Jalyukt Shivar.

However, an official of the CMO said there is no wrongdoing in disbursing of the fund.

More than 800 farmers have committed suicide in the backward region of Marathawada this year, mainly because of the failure of the rains and their growing indebtedness. People are seeking relief for chronic diseases like cancer and heart attack. The government should recover the money and if it fails to do so, Fadnavis should pay from his pocket, he had said.

He also said that the money was administered by the chief minister directly, and therefore, if the money was misappropriated for a cause for which the money has not been collected, it was an extremely serious issue.

The dance troupe is slated to participate in the competition being held at Akshara theatre in Bangkok, which is organised by private bodies like Akhil Bhartiya Sanskrutik Sangh and the Global Council of Art and Culture comprising 15 artists for which Rs 50,000 each has been sanctioned totalling Rs 7,50,000.