60 pc more spent on remembering Kasturba than Mahatma

Commemorating death anniversary incurs Rs 83 lakh

Nearly Rs 83 lakh was spent in commemorating the death anniversary of Kasturba Gandhi during the last two years, which was 60 per cent more than the combined expenditure incurred on the death and birth anniversary events of Mahatma Gandhi during that period.

An RTI response has revealed that the Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, which works under Culture Ministry, had spent Rs 2.46 lakh on publicity and printing of invitation cards for observing Kasturba Gandhi’s death anniversary “Nirwan Diwas” on February 22 last year while this year’s expenditure was Rs 2.68 lakh.

The Samiti had also incurred an additional expenditure of Rs 30.44 lakh in 2011 and Rs 47.17 lakh this year in observing her death anniversary.The details given by the Samiti to activist Subhash Agrawal under RTI show that the expenditure incurred on Nirwan Diwas of Kasturba, wife of Mahatma Gandhi, was 60 per cent more than the combined expenditure incurred on the birth and death anniversary of the Father of the Nation which was Rs 51.86 lakh. The details show that the Samiti spent Rs 4.62 lakh on printing of invitation cards and publicity to commemorate birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2 which is also famous as International day of non-violence in 2011 while this year the figure was Rs 2.48 lakh.

Additional expenditure of Rs 8.73 lakh and Rs 7.41 lakh was also incurred on the occasion in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

Similarly, Rs 13.5 lakh was incurred in observing the Mahatma’s death anniversary on January 30, 2011, while Rs 15 lakh was spent in 2012. These figures include publicity, invitation cards and other expenses incurred by the Samiti.