Raipur, Oct 1 (PTI) The Chhattisgarh Congress on Thursday alleged corruption in the expenditure for the ‘Bastar Pandum’ festival event held in Jagdalpur in February this year.
However, Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao rejected the charges and said the government would order an inquiry if any complaint of irregularities was received.
The Bastar Pandum, aimed at showcasing the region’s rich traditions, folk arts, tribal lifestyle and cuisine on national and international platforms, was held in Jagdalpur from February 7 to 9 this year.
Artists from all seven districts of the Bastar region participated in the event. Competitions in tribal dances, folk songs, music, traditional handicrafts, costumes, jewellery, local cuisine and musical instruments were organised during the festival.
President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the event, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah attended its concluding ceremony.
In a statement, Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee president Deepak Baij alleged the BJP government had indulged in “massive corruption” in the name of Bastar Pandum.
“More than Rs 6.14 crore was allegedly spent irregularly in the name of tents, chairs and pandals during the visit of the President and the Union Home Minister. A sum of Rs 28 lakh was spent on flower decorations during the three-day event, while Rs 42 lakh was spent on setting up green rooms. A permanent resting place could certainly have been built with this much of amount,” Baij said.
“Rs 44 lakh was spent on cloth side walls, Rs 33 lakh on carpets and Rs 12.5 lakh on chairs and tables. Artistic installations cost Rs 16.84 lakh for a single day, while Rs 17.5 lakh was spent on the welcome area during the President’s one-day visit,” he added.
He said the alleged expenditure was wasteful when people in Bastar were struggling for their livelihoods.
Bastar’s ordinary tribal people are struggling for their livelihood, with collection of forest produce such as mahua being an important source of income, Baij said while asserting that wasteful expenditure in the name of their culture is an insult to them.
“The money could instead have been used for development and welfare works. With Rs 6.14 crore, dozens of bridges, culverts and roads damaged in the monsoon could have been repaired. The amount spent on tents and chairs could have been used to construct a permanent concrete dome,” he claimed.
Baij also alleged that Bastar Pandum was a festival rooted in the culture and traditions of tribal communities and accused the government of using it for publicity.
“The government has tried to turn it into a means of self-promotion. The alleged corruption has hurt the sentiments of the people of Bastar,” he said.
Rejecting the allegations, Sao, who also holds the Public Works Department portfolio, said the government would examine the matter if a complaint is received.
“Baij is the state president of a corrupt party, so he sees corruption everywhere. When his party was in government, it did nothing for Bastar’s development. Now, when the BJP government is organising Bastar Pandum to promote Bastar’s culture, he is opposing it. There is nothing like corruption in it. These all are political allegations,” Sao told PTI.
“Even so, if a complaint is received in this regard, an inquiry will certainly be conducted,” he said.
Sao said expenditure on government works was subject to scrutiny at different levels. Works are sanctioned and when bills are submitted to the department, they are examined at different levels, he added.
“Bills are approved only after the scrutiny. If there is any allegation or indication of irregularity, an inquiry will be conducted. This is not a political issue,” he said.
PWD Executive Engineer in Jagdalpur Bhavesh Singh said the department had released only 70 per cent of the bills submitted by a contractor involved in work related to Bastar Pandum, while the remaining 30 per cent has been withheld.
When asked whether the 30 per cent payment had been withheld due to suspected irregularities, Singh declined to comment. PTI TKP BNM
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