Assam govt spent Rs 1 crore meant for tiger conservation in Kaziranga to host Ram Nath Kovind: RTI

The Assam government spent a whopping Rs 1.1 crore from the tiger conservation fund of the Kaziranga National Park during former President Ram Nath Kovind's visit to the sanctuary in February 2022, revealed an RTI reply.

The diverted money was used to pay for food, tents, carpets and mementoes, among other things, during the ex- President's visit to the national park in Assam.

In its response to Assam-based RTI activist Rohit Choudhury's petition, the Kaziranga field director's office mentioned that the national park used an additional Rs 51 lakh from a general wildlife fund.

As per the state field director's reply, a total of Rs 1,64,16,000 from the funds meant to protect wildlife in the national park were spent to ensure two nights of comfortable stay for the President and his entourage by the park authorities.

The fund was used to meet various expenses such as breakfast, lunch and dinner; renovation and painting of the convention hall, tents for accommodation and sundry purchases that included an air purifier.

• According to the Wire, of the total, Rs 1,94,650 was paid to a contractor, Kailash Patwary, "to provide manpower for clearing a tourist road" in the Kohora area adjacent to the park.
• Rs 2,43,768 spent on "providing breakfast, lunch and dinner on February 20, 2022" - in apparent in preparation for the dignitary's visit - at JB's Resort, Kohora.
• Rs 97,940 was used to buy "purchase of air purifier" from one Dayananda Saikia.
• Rs 2,88,300 was spent for "providing lunch, breakfast on 22nd and 23rd February, 2022".
• Rs 3,58,000 was spent on "providing lunch, breakfast on 26th, 27th and 28th February, 2022".
• Rs 49,560 was speant to serve tea on February 26, 2022, at the IORA resort, Kohora.

"Besides the 1.1 crores that was spent from the tiger foundation's corpus on the President's visit, another ₹ 51 lakh was diverted from a general wildlife fund," Choudhury stated in the letter.

In February last year, Kovind, accompanied by his wife and daughter, visited Assam and had participated in a programme launching the 400th birth anniversary celebration of legendary Ahom general Lachit Borphukan at Guwahati on the first day.

After spending the night at Guwahati, he had attended the convocation of Tezpur University on Saturday and flew to Kaziranga later the same day.