Huge sum proposed in budget to celebrate Swami Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary in Gujarat

Ahmedabad, 25 February, 2012

Gujarat government will spend average Rs 22,80,701 per day to celebrate Swami Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary.

Budget draft proposal of Sports, Youth and Cultural activities department says: ” It is proposed to celebrate Swami Vivekanand`s 150th Birth Anniversary in the Financial Year 2012-13. For this purpose, an amount of 65,00,00,000/-is required for the year 2012-13 for Sports, Youth & Cultural Activities Department.”

This sum of Rs 65 crore is huge, and no detail about spending of this sum is available in budget draft. While budget year starts from 1st of April, the 150th birth anniversary year will be ending on 12th of January 2013.

This means there will be roughly 280 days to spend the sum of Rs 65 crore. Average of one day spending thus comes to Rs 22,80,701.

Another proposal is to celebrate 150 year birthday anniversary of Swami Vivekanand as ‘Yuva-varsh’ during the year 2012-13 by starting Sahitya Corner in Public Libraries at Taluka palace, and to organize debate on “Swami Vivekanand’’ “Vanchan Shibir’’, books exhibition every month during the year. It is also proposed to give prizes to the winner in the debate activities under this project. For this purpose a sum of 46,85,000/- is proposed in budget.

One more proposal to celebrate 150th birth anniversary of Vivekananda is about starting of Swami Vivekanand Non residential Centre of Excellence. Such centre will provide all required facilities like scientific coaching, equipments diet and accommodation with traveling allowance for state / national tournaments, conveyance allowance, sport kits and to strengthen the qualitative value of Adventure Sports during Mountaineering, Rannotsav and Kite Festival. A huge amount of Rs 10,36,0070,000/- is required during the year 2012-13, and it is proposed in this budget.

In last year budget Sports, Youth and Cultural activities department had proposed an huge amount of Rs.67,76,95,000/- during the year 2011-12 for Khel Mahakumbh.

One has to wonder, whether these huge ammounts are spent properly and are corruption free or not? While RTIs are not answered, and media is increasinbly becoming press-release oriented, who will check the spendings?