Kambala committee to meet CM over funding issue

Mangaluru: Following withholding government grants for Kambala events, the District Kambala Committee has decided to meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on July 22 in Bengaluru to submit a petition.

During D.V. Sadananda Gowda’s tenure as Chief Minister, a grant of Rs. 5 lakh was provided for each Kambala event. However, the government did not release funds for the 2023-24 Kambala season.

Outstanding Bills for Two Kambalas

For the Puttur Koti Chennaya Jodukere Kambala, Rs. 5 lakh, and the Uppinangady Vijaya Vikrama Jodukere Kambala, Rs. 10 lakh, were sanctioned by the government on March 13. The bills were prepared and submitted to the district treasury by the Deputy Commissioner on March 23. However, the last date for bill acceptance was March 20, resulting in the bills not being processed in the software.

Consequently, the tourism department’s sanctioned grant could not be paid. The proposal for re-release is currently under review by the government.

Funding Needed for All Kambalas

In an interview with ‘Udayavani,’ District Kambala Committee President Belapu Deviprasad Shetty stated, “Tourism Minister H.K. Patil has assured that the state government will fund at least five Kambala events in the 2024-25 season. Each Kambala used to receive Rs. 5 lakh annually, but last year’s funds were not released.”

He further said that limiting funds to only five Kambalas next year is discriminatory. “Kambala is a beloved folk sport of the coastal region, and each event incurs expenses up to Rs. 50 lakh. Therefore, we demand that the government continue providing grants for all Kambala events as before,” he added.

On Monday, a delegation of representatives, led by Speaker U.T. Khader, will meet the Chief Minister to submit this petition.