Thiruvananthapuram: The who's who of the Left Democratic Front Government in Kerala has taken a fancy to fundraisers much in vogue in the West. The leading ruling party, CPM, has been trying hard to defend the reported move of the NoRKA to collect amounts ranging from USD 25,000 to USD 100,000 from US-based Keralites by offering them a chance to sit or stand close to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during the zonal meet of the Loka Kerala Sabha to be held in New York from June 9 to 11.
Two prized sponsorship categories are named the Diamond and the Gold. One needs to pay $2.5 lakh (Rs 2.06 crore) for Diamond sponsorship, whereas Gold category sponsors need to pay $1 lakh (around Rs 82 lakh).
The official website of the Loka Kerala Sabha has the news and pictures of the American Malayali, Babu Stephen, who is the diamond sponsor of the event, handing over a cheque for $2.5 lakh to the organising committee.
Govt's defence
The government argues the zonal organizing committee is funding the conference through sponsorships in order not to burden the State exchequer. But, contrary to this claim, the expenses for the travel of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan; Speaker A N Shamsheer; Finance Minister K N Balagopal; and officials accompanying the Chief Minister, are borne by the government.
Four government officials reached the United States one week ahead of the event apparently for coordination activities. They will spend many more days in the US than the Chief Minister and his team who will be there only for three days.
Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NoRKA) vice chairman P Sreeramakrisnan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Harikrishnan Namboothiri, and general manager Ajith Kolassery, will be in the United States for nine days. K Vasuki, the Director of the Loka Kerala Sabha Secretariat, will spend 10 days. The expenses incurred for this too will be met from the NoRKA-Roots fund.
“The Kerala Government and the NoRKA handle the travel arrangements and the event is being organised by the people in the US. No registration fee was charged or fundraising was carried out in the name of the Chief Minister,” Ramakrishnan had claimed the other day while saying that it is a sponsored programme.
Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal told reporters that he was not aware that any fundraising was carried out as it was NORKA which was handling everything. He also asserted that no wrong activity would be carried out with the active knowledge of the state government.
Earlier, an organizing committee was formed and funds were collected during the zonal meet of the Sabha in the United Kingdom last year too. The accounts of income and expenditure of the event have not been made public even seven months after the event.
