The state government on Tuesday submitted before the Kerala High Court that it has not considered any proposal so far to grant additional financial assistance to the Kochi Biennale Foundation for conducting the ongoing Kochi-Muziris Biennale.
P G Unnikrishnan, Under Secretary to Government, Cultural Affairs Department, made the submission on a petition filed by G Ajith Kumar, secretary, Lantern Fine Arts Society, seeking a directive to restrain the state from providing additional financial assistance to the Kochi Biennale Foundation. The court also flayed the state for not filing an affidavit and issued a directive to file a detailed counter-affidavit within ten days. The state further submitted that a Cabinet meeting is scheduled to be held on January 10 and there is no agenda so far on granting further assistance to the biennale.
The petitioner submitted that the state had initially handed over `5 crore for the biennale.
Meanwhile, the government is also planning to provide additional financial assistance to the foundation, without taking any steps to recover the funds already provided. The Cultural Department was in haste to disburse `5 crore, he alleged in his petition.
The petitioner also sought a directive to expedite the Vigilance probe.
He submitted that the government has so far not executed the order to conduct the Vigilance probe as recommended by the inspection wing of the Finance Department.