The regional conference of Lok Kerala Sabha has kicked off controversy much before the curtain raiser. The programme is scheduled to be carried out, from June 9 to 11, 2023, at a hotel in Time Square, New York. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer, Kerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal and NORKA Vice Chairman P Sreeramakrishnan (former speaker, Kerala assembly) are expected to address the programme.
The tariffs published by the organisers, the overseas Kerala organisations, show US dollar 1 lakh (equivalent to Rs 82 lakhs) as the price for golden sponsorship, Rs 50,000 for silver and US dollar 25,000 for bronze. These VIP sponsorships are reported to be capable of enabling the ‘sponsors’ to have dinner with the CM. Interestingly, there is no Kerala Government representative in the organising committee.
NORKA Principal Secretary Suman Billa stated that he was not aware of the sponsorship tariff and had not seen the tariff notice.
Sreeramakarishnan told the media that the entire expenses for the conference were borne by the organisers. The only Government expenditure is the travel fares of the VIPs. He was indirectly justifying the tariff. NORKA is Non-Resident Keralites Affairs. It is a department of the Government of Kerala formed, on December 6, 1996, to redress the grievances of Non-Resident Keralites.
Tariff card has been reportedly included in the e-mails sent by the organising secretary to the Lok Kerala Sabha members. E-mails are sent to seek help to organise the sponsors. Lok Kerala Sabha is a Government initiative. Overseas agencies or individuals collect money in the name of the organisation. The tariff card features pictures of the VIPs from Kerala. But, the Government does not account for the funds collected.
A K Balan, senior CPM leader and former minister, told the media that there is nothing wrong with sponsorship for such programmes. He blamed the Opposition parties, read BJP and Congress and ‘jealous.’
The issue has invited sharp criticisms from right-thinking people. They wonder how come a meeting with the democratically elected CM or dinner together it with him cost one a fortune.
BJP president K Surendran asked the Chief Minister to stop this sort of collection. He says it is an insult to the people of Kerala. He says this collection exposes the soft attitude of the CM towards rich people. Taxing people to sit and eat with a CM is the first-ever incident in this world. Actually, CM should cancel the US trip in the wake of the grave debt trap the state has been struggling with.
