NEW DELHI: The autonomous body meant to promote the principles, practices and beliefs of Mahatma Gandhi—Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti—under the Ministry of Culture has recently come under scanner for allegations of misuse of funds by the director and officer bearers for the “luxurious” maintenance of the office and official residence.
Right to Information (RTI) activist and adviser to Delhi administration Subhash Chandra Agrawal has accused the Director of Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, Mani Mala of making a “mockery of the austerity adopted by Mahatma Gandhi in his personal life” by getting installed “five-star facilities” at her official residence at the cost of public-exchequer including from Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti and Central Public Works Department. From the installation of steam-bath at the cost `3.37 lakh to a modular kitchen at her official residence, Mani Mala has spent lakhs of rupees in renovating office as well as home.
The documents states: “The expenses made on the purchase of essential furniture and equipment for the Director residence in last three years is Rs 10, 32, 274. The departmental maintenance in Director residence is worth Rs 1.37 lakh and Rs 44,000 in 2013 and 2014 respectively.” The documents reveal that steam bath was installed at the cost of Rs 3.13 lakh and modular kitchen for Rs 2 lakh. The CPWD spent Rs 8.21 lakh at director’s office, right from chair to refrigerator, between 2010 and 2013.
At the administrative office of Gandhi Darshan, Rs 3.12 lakh was spent between 2011 and 2013 for purchasing tables and computers and various office items. For two offices of Gandhi Smiriti and Darshan Samiti `48.9 lakh were spent for purchasing various office items during the last three years. According to the documents, in 2010, `6 lakh were used by the officials for travelling to various places across the country. In 2011, Rs 6.56 lakh were spent by office bearers, and in 2012, `10 lakh were used. In 2013, `9 lakh were spent for travelling by the officer bearers, including Mani Mala.
Agrawal also claimed that the documents pertaining to the expenses by the Director were provided only after the intervention of Central Information Commission.
Mala, refutes the allegations. She told The Sunday Standard that all the accusations leveled against her are baseless and a result of “professional vendetta”. “Anyone can walk into my official house and can see the kind of facilities I am availing. Is getting a proper kitchen in a house a crime?” Mala, 55, said. The documents reveal that `1.59 crore were spent by the organisation in the last four years.
Disproving all the allegations, Mani Mala said, “Such allegations are leveled against me because people with vested interest are targeting me.” Mala says that she shifted to the official bungalow in 2012, as the house was in lying vacant and unattended. “I joined as the director in 2010 and after working two years, I realised that if I shift my base at the allotted bungalow situated at walking distance from the office, I can devote much time to the work,” she said. She said that during the three years, `10 lakh were spent on the bungalow which was in a dilapidated condition.
Coming to the issue of installing the steam-bath, she said that it was done after a proper approval from all the agencies. “I am suffering from severe skin burns across the body and doctors have advised me for steam bath. The agencies agreed to install (the steam bath) seeing that a lot of money would be spent on the medicines. The Comptroller and Auditor General came for auditing and agreed to it.”
Mala observes that it was nothing but a personal vendetta as her tenure was about to expire on September 16, this year. The ministry, however, gave her tenure as the director a three months extension on September 17.