E-Paper
Probe ordered into misuse of funds in SJM mutt’s statue
T Venskatesh has ordered details on the matter from technical experts, urging for accurate assessments to ascertain the true status of the Basaveshwara statue’s construction in SJM mutt
An investigation has been ordered into the alleged misuse of funds amounting to ₹35 crore allocated by the state government for the construction of 375-feet Basaveshwara statue in Chitradurga, an official familiar with the matter said.
The official said that deputy commissioner T Venskatesh has ordered details on the matter from technical experts, urging for accurate assessments to ascertain the true status of the Basaveshwara statue’s construction in Sri Jagadguru Murugharajendra (SJM) mutt in Chitradurga. On Wednesday, the district administration directed the Public Works Department to furnish a detailed technical report on the project’s progress.
He said: “I have received the report submitted by Chitradurga’s additional deputy commissioner BT Kumara Swamy, but there is no specific information about actual spending on statue; hence, I sought details from technical experts. After receiving the report, we would know the exact misappropriation, if any. Then I will write the state government to take action in this regard.”
The SJM mutt in Chitradurga has been in controversy over the alleged child sexual assault by its pontiff Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru.
Former minister H Ekantaiah raised concerns regarding the utilisation of the government grant earmarked for the Basaveshwara statue. After diligent scrutiny, the committee submitted its findings through a report to the DC on Tuesday.
The committee’s report revealed discrepancies in the progress of the statue’s construction over the past 12 years, expressing skepticism about completing the project in the foreseeable future.
As per the project estimates, the SJM Mutt has undertaken the construction with a total budget of ₹280.2 crore for a statue of 375 feet tall, allocating ₹90.2 crore for the pedestal and ₹190 crore for the statue itself. The state government had disbursed a grant of ₹40 crore between 2011 and 2023, with ₹35 crore sent to the Mutt and the remaining ₹5 crore retained by the Panchayat Raj Engineering Department.
During its investigation, the committee found inadequate documentation regarding the expenditure of the granted funds. Besides, the sluggish progress of the project over the past decade has raised eyebrows, with funds allegedly disbursed to various entities without a clear correlation to the statue’s construction, the panel stated.
The committee’s dissatisfaction extends to the Mutt’s lack of concrete plans for the utilisation of the remaining ₹240.2 crore, casting doubts on the efficacy of the government grant.
