KPCC chief denies misuse of donation
KPCC President R V Deshpande was in a damage control mode on Monday following allegations that the party has misused public donation towards flood relief work in North Karnataka.
A report to this effect was published in a section of the media on the last day of filing nominations to the Rajya Sabha elections. Deshpande’s name was also making rounds as the probable candidate.
The report, referring to the bank passbook entries of the KPCC, stated that of the total fund Rs 2.07 crore it raised from people, Rs 75 lakh is still in fixed deposit. The party has also purchased T-shirts for its workers, air tickets for M V Rajashekharan and for issuing advertisements in newspapers.
Miffed Deshpande, in a hurriedly convened press conference, said the party has received only crossed cheques and has issued receipt to every donor; the accounts of the Flood Relief Fund is audited. The party is ready to face any inquiry in this regard, he added.
Releasing the details of spending by the KPCC, Deshpande said the party would utilise Rs Rs 75 lakh, kept as FD (Canara Bank) to get higher interest, efficiently.
Asked whether the ‘exposure’ and embarrassment to the party would make him lose his position, Deshpande said, “the organisational election process is on. A new president will have to be elected. I have not done anything wrong. A bank passbook will not reflect reality. Some vested intersts are working overtime to tarnish my image. The KPCC’s accounts should be checked before blaming anyone.”
The party spent nearly Rs 32,000 on advertisements to expose BJP’s failure to take up relief measures in the flood-hit areas. In the case of Rajashekharan, the party purchased his air tickets as he had said he could not afford air tickets. “We had taken a delegation from Bangalore to Delhi to meet people to get funds released for relief works.
Rajashekharan was ready to travel by train. As all of us were taking flight, we bought tickets for him spending Rs 13,824,” he admitted. T-shirts worth Rs 7,000 were purchased for the workers involved in relief work and 7,000 tiles were purchased for distributing to those who lost houses in Uttara Kannada district, he pointed out.
The statement of account showed that Rs 4,50,861 being paid to Vebas Advertisement; financial aid to a Congress workers - Rs 5,000; Rs 70,000 to Digital Palace towards printing 150 copies of relief flood report; Rs 84,000 for 1,000 Shesh Wollens blankets to Uttara Kannada; Rs 6,86,400 for 8,600 Shesh Wollen blankets to Siriguppa; Rs 17,672 - Chetan Enterprises - banners & stickets; Rs 10,92,830 for purchase of 10,417 sarees in Gulbarga and Rs 1,67,000 -transport of relief materials.
Come out clean: BSY
Reacting to the reports, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said in Hubli, the Congress should come out clean before the people. If the party has any concern regarding social values, and for the people, its leaders should come out with the facts.
‘Unpardonable’
State JD(S) president H D Kumaraswamy, in Bangalore, said the Congress has done an unpardonable job by ‘misusing’ public money. It doesn’t augur well for a national party like the Congress to misuse the funds meant for the poor. It should take moral responsibility, he said.
