Kuchipudi convention opens amid allegations of financial

The 5th International Kuchipudi Dance Convention, inaugurated by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu here today, was surrounded in controversy following allegations of financial irregularities by a private organiser of the event.
While the state government released Rs one crore for the three-day event, the private organiser Kuchibhotla Anand collected Rs 1,000 each as "registration fee" from over 5,000 participants.
As many as 7,000 delegates from India and abroad are taking part in this convention.
The government, in fact, is not a mere financial sponsor for the event but it has also made all arrangements with Krishna District Collector Babu Ahamed personally supervising them.

Though Culture Secretary (in-charge) N Srikant did not respond to queries on the issue, a senior official of the department maintained that no registration fee should be charged when the government sponsored the event.
Anand runs an organisation Silicon Andhra in the US and is currently heading the Kuchipudi Natyaramam project announced by the state government for promotion of the dance form in the international arena.

In the last two years since the project has been announced, the state government did not even prepare a plan of action for promotion of Kuchipudi.
It has also not released any funds though the Chief Minister announced way back in December 2014 that Rs 100 crore would be spent on the project.

Anand justified collection of registration fee from the participants saying they provide food worth Rs 400 per head daily during the event.
"It is ironical that we have to give an explanation when we are doing something good," he remarked.
Anand, a software professional settled in the USA, also refuted allegations that he was using Kuchipudi as a money-making tool.
"This is our little effort to promote Kuchipudi. We are only trying to teach Kuchipudi for the next generation," he said.
Anand had been organising the International Kuchipudi Dance Convention every two years since 2008.
On previous occasions, the state government did not play any role in the event but this time the Chandrababu administration has taken it upon itself to showcase the convention as a prestigious event in its efforts to "revive and restore the glory" of Kuchipudi.

Incidentally, this is the first time the event is being held in (new) Andhra Pradesh, that too in Krishna district where the classical dance form originated.