The Uttarakhand government led by CM Harish Rawat has been hit by a controversy once again and this time, it is regarding the payment of Rs. 47.19 lakh which is said to be made to the captain of Indian cricket team Virat Kohli in June 2015.
Virat was appointed as the brand ambassador of Uttarakhand at that time and he was a part of a 60-second tourism video but the controversy lies in the fact that this payment has been made from the funds kept for victims of 2013 Kedarnath calamity. This revelation has been made in reply to an RTI, which was filed by an activist who also happens to be a BJP worker.
Here’s The Video:
[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFgSwgo6UUw[/yt]
Click here to watch this video directly on YouTube
However, Virat’s agent and Founder & CEO of Cornerstone Sport and Entertainment, Bunty Sajdeh, denied it saying, “There has been no monetary transaction whatsoever.”
Surendra Kumar, the media advisor to the CM, has denied any wrongdoing in the whole process. Here’s what he said,
“Tourism forms the backbone of the state’s economy, therefore what is wrong if a prominent face is chosen to promote the state’s destinations? Everything has been done in a legal way. These allegations are baseless. People know that redevelopment of Kedarnath has always been the priority of our government. BJP is on the verge of losing elections, so it is coming up with such diversionary tactics out of frustration.”
When Surendra was told that Virat’s agent had denied any such transaction, he said,
“I will ask the relevant departments to check details of the payment made to Kohli. It is BJP that is alleging that Virat Kohli was paid the money through an RTI that they have obtained. If the cricketer’s representative is claiming that they haven’t received the amount, we will get it checked.”
The RTI was filed by Ajendra Ajay who has this to say,
“The RTI reply shows that the amount was paid by the district disaster management authority of Rudraprayag after a clearance given by the Uttarakhand State Disaster Response Management Authority through an email. Why were the state disaster bodies used to pay Kohli? Also, what is the requirement of a brand ambassador for the state? What role do they play in the long run? This is nothing but sheer waste of money.”
The Uttarakhand unit of BJP is continuously targeting and attacking the government on the matter and asking them as to why the amount was paid in such manner.
As per the reply received in RTI, Kohli’s payment was made in June 2015 through Kailasa Entertainment Pvt Ltd, a firm owned by singer Kailash Kher. BJP attacked the government last year in October also for paying Kailash Kher an amount of Rs. 3.66 crore which they alleged was paid from the relief funds of Rudrapyarag district. This payment was made to Kailash for making a tele-serial on Kedarnath. BJP also raised objections on the timing of launch of the serial as a lot of redevelopment work was due to be finished and the temple was also about to close in winter.
Ajay alleged that Uttarakhand government was “wasting money meant for relief”. He further added,
“Around 12 suspension bridges had been washed away in the Kedar valley during the disaster. Just two of these bridges have been constructed, forcing locals to use trolleys to commute. Instead of focusing on these projects, the state government is indulging in wasteful expenditure.”
It is definitely a matter of concern if the payment was made from relief funds! What do you say? Share your views with regard to the article in the comments section below.