Guwahati: The Assam government spent Rs 1.1 crore from a tiger conservation fund to pay for food, tents, carpets, and other things during ex-President Ram Nath Kovind's visit to Kaziranga National Park last year.
The information was revealed in response to an RTI query by activist Rohit Choudhury.
In its response, the Kaziranga field director's office said that Rs 1.1 crore was spent during the ex-President's visit. The amount was taken from Kaziranga Tiger Conservation Foundation as a grant.
The foundation is funded through the elephant and jeep safaris that the national park runs. Assam has 2 other such foundations aimed at conserving tigers - at the Manas and Nameri reserves.
The money taken from the Kaziranga foundation as grant in aid was used to pay for food and renovation of halls, tents, and mementos during ex-President Kovind's visit.
A total of Rs 2,43,768 was spent on food on February 20, shows the RTI reply, a copy of which has been accessed by NDTV. Another Rs 50,000 were spent for tea on February 26.
Rs 97,940 have been listed as expense to purchase an air purifier, while a retroreflective board and memento for the ex-President cost Rs 6.2 lakhs.
Mr Choudhury wrote to the state chief secretary about the alleged diversion of funds last month, citing the Kaziranga field director's reply to his RTI petition, which he had filed on May 18, 2022.
"Besides the 1.1 crores that was spent from the tiger foundation's corpus on the President's visit, another Rs 51 lakh was diverted from a general wildlife fund," Mr Choudhury stated in the letter.