Belagavi: The Karnataka government has ordered an investigation into alleged misuse of funds released for Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations in Belagavi.
The Tourism Department had sanctioned ₹50 lakh to organise the state festival in the district. However, several Kannada organisations have alleged that the funds were not used as per government rules and that there was large-scale irregularity in spending.
According to the complaints, district authorities did not consult local Kannada organisations while planning the celebrations. The groups also claimed that there was a lack of transparency in the utilisation of funds and that guidelines were not followed.
Following a series of complaints, senior officials of the Tourism Department directed the Belagavi Regional Commissioner to conduct a detailed inquiry into the matter. The officer has been asked to examine how every rupee of the grant was spent and submit a report at the earliest.