The government has initiated a vigilance probe against the Kochi Muziris Biennale on the basis of the recommendations of the Financial Inspection Wing, which has unearthed several financial irregularities in the conduct of the Biennale.
“The Finance Department will also initiate action against those who gave the advice that Financial Codal Provisions need not be followed while `5 crore was spent by the Kochi Biennale Foundation,” Cultural Affairs Minister K C Joseph said, after the Cabinet meeting.
He also said that the government nominees in the Kochi Biennale Foundation, who were the organisers of the Biennale, would be withdrawn. Though the government will not provide any financial help to the Foundation, they will be provided other assistance as per the agreement drafted by the previous LDF Government.
“As per the agreement, the Durbar Hall will be rented out for four months without any payment,” he said.
However, the recommendations of the inspection wing to blacklist the Kochi Biennale Foundation was not agreed upon citing that it was a cultural organisation.
Moreover, the Foundation will not be allowed to use the logo of Government or Lalitha Kala Academy.
Meanwhile, the artist fraternity welcomed the government decision to initiate a vigilance inquiry.
Lantern Association, a group of artists who had been fighting to bring out the truth, said that it was an appropriate decision. “We welcome the government decision. It was for the first time that the government had initiated a probe against granting funds to a cultural organisation,” Lantern secretary G Ajith Kumar said.
Welcoming the vigilance inquiry, noted artist and former member of the Lalita Kala Academy B D Dattan said that everyone had the right to know what happened to the government money.
“The artists in the state were much concerned about the conduct of the biennale. Let the truth come out as the public money had been wasted,” he said.
Apart from recommending a vigilance inquiry and blacklisting the Foundation, the inspection wing had also recommended the government to take immediate action to take back the money from the Foundation.
The report noted that the Foundation was registered in such a way that the government did not have any role in it. An inquiry was also recommended in connection with the renovation of the Durbar Hall Art Gallery, Kochi.
