KOCHI: The organisers of Karuna music programme on Wednesday came live on their official Facebook page and clarified their stance on the ongoing controversies.
Music director Bijibal, president of Kochi Music Foundation (KMF), the organisers of the event, said they have remitted `6.22 lakh to the CMDRF, which is the total revenue from ticket sales. The KMF also uploaded supporting documents on its website.
“The event was planned to announce the launch of KMF. We also decided to donate the revenue from ticket sales to the CMDRF to help flood victims. The total revenue from ticket sales was `7.74 lakh. After deducting the GST and other charges, the total ticket revenue was a little over `6.21 lakh,” said Bijibal.
He said as per rule, it was necessary to submit the amount to the CMDRF only before March 31, 2020. “However, after noticing that an RTI statement being circulated on social media and some people blaming the organisers, we submitted it in the second week of February. We were embarrassed to see that we are getting targeted unnecessarily,” he said.
On the allegations against availing the venue for free, KMF joint secretary Aashiq Abu said initially the Bolgatty Palace ground was opted as the venue. “However, considering the chances of adverse weather, we shifted the programme indoor. That is why Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium was chosen. Its rental cost is `1.5 lakh. However, after we convinced them about the intention of our programme and that ticket revenue was for the CMDRF, it was allotted for free,” he clarified.
Shahbaz Aman, KMF secretary, said it hurts when people blame them unnecessarily for something which they did with a good intention. “We have also written to the chief minister to instruct the police to conduct an inquiry into the deliberate attempt from some quarters to tarnish the image of KMF,” said Bijibal.