An amount of Rs 1.1 crore was used from a corpus which was for tiger conservation in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park to pay for food, tents, carpets, and mementos during former President Ram Nath Kovind’s visit in February 2022.

An RTI was filed by Assam-based RTI activist Rohit Choudhury. Thereafter, the misuse of the money was revealed.

Choudhury wrote to the state chief secretary about the alleged deviation of funds last month. Further, he mentioned the Kaziranga field director’s November 30, 2022, reply to the RTI petition he had filed on May 18.

Kaziranga field director’s office mentioned that the Rs 1.1 crore was reportedly averted from the Kaziranga Tiger Conservation Foundation. The amount was spent on various heads such as breakfast, lunch and dinner; renovation of the convention hall, painting, tented accommodation and various purchases that included an air purifier.

Moreover, another Rs 51 lakh was diverted from a general wildlife fund, he further stated.

Reacting immediately on the matter, Assam Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowari said his department was ‘looking into’ the alleged misuse of funds for conservation since he came to know about it.