1 Crore Rs to Bahrain Kannada Sangha - why should poor tax payers of Karnataka fund rich NRI association?

As I suspected in my earlier blog post, BJP Government in Karnataka has again surrendered to a powerful Kannada newspaper Editor.

1 Crore Rupees has been released to Bahrain Kannada Sangha by Karnataka Government (subject to RBI) after above mentioned Editor returned to Bangalore from a fresh "sanmana" and lambasted CM for not keeping his words to Bahrain Kannada Association on 1 Crore Rupees.

In other words, poor tax payers of Karnataka will be subsidizing weekend kitty parties of NRIs in one of the world's richest country. Bahrain's per capita income is almost $18,000 compared to approx $500 per capita income of Karnataka. Can there be bigger irony than this?

Our CM is known to announce 1-2 crore rupees to every religious or cultural place he visits. While in principle I oppose government grants to any religious institutions, I understand how these donation may help social service done by temples. At least one can assume money is spent within India.

But donating 1 Crore to an NRI association in one of the world's richest countries?

Especially when Karnataka is still to recover from one of the worst floods in centuries?

Why send 1 crore to Bahrain when various "Academies" established by Karnataka govt are in coma because other than announcing Presidents to the academies, Chief Minister (who also holds Kannada & Cultural portfolio) has done nothing to rejuvenate them?

As I explained in my earlier post, I've been to Bahrain and don't doubt sincerity of Kannada Sangha there. But Kannadigas in Bahrain are no exception to what we see in Karnataka or for that matter Indian diaspora.

Anyone who has been to NRI events knows what takes place there - weekend parties, kitty parties, usual Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music with bored second generation enduring those torture sessions. NRIs of course think that by attending these events (and making bored teenagers sit through the boring concerts), they are keeping Kannada culture "alive".

Even though Kannadigas form a tiny portion of Bahrain's population, there are already so many associations along caste and community lines - Billavas Association, Bunts Association, Konkani Association, Gowdas Bahrain, Mangalore Catholics, Karnataka Muslims Association among others.

Today it is 1 Crore for Kannada Sangha. Tomorrow if some other association invites CM and presents tacky 10 Dinar souvenir and honours him, will he announced 1 Crore rupees to them as well?

Lastly, what mechanism does Karnataka govt have to monitor fund utilization outside the country? Even inside the country in front of citizens we know how govt funds are spent - that being the case how can one make sure this 1 Crore is not misused once it leaves India?