A significant amount of money is being collected on behalf of the organizing committee for the Lok Kerala Sabha Regional Conference, set to be attended by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the United States. The event, organized by Taranisha, is accepting sponsorships through the distribution of gold, silver, and bronze passes. The sponsorship amounts required are $1 lakh (approximately Rs. 82 lakhs) for gold, $50,000 (approximately Rs. 41 lakhs) for silver, and $25,000 (approximately Rs. 20.5 lakhs) for bronze.
A tariff card featuring the pictures of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Minister KN Balagopal, Speaker AN Shamseer, NORCA Vice Chairman P Sriramakrishnan, and the luxury hotel in New York where the conference will be held is being circulated among groups of American Malayalees.
The promise to sponsors offering significant contributions includes recognition at the conference venue and the opportunity to have dinner with VIPs from Kerala. While the Lok Kerala Sabha is a government initiative, external individuals are collecting funds under its name. The government does not account for the funds collected, and there is no government representative in the organizing committee.
The conference is scheduled to take place from the 9th to the 11th of this month at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York. Although only the Chief Minister and the Finance Minister are expected to participate, the tariff card circulated to sponsors promises the attendance of the Chief Minister and more than a dozen ministers. Following the meeting at the hotel, a public gathering will be held at the nearby Times Square. The tariff card has been included in an email sent by the organizing secretary to the members of the Lok Kerala Sabha, seeking their assistance in finding sponsors.
The NORCA department confirmed that the local organizing committee is bearing the cost of the conference and raising funds through sponsorships. The only expense incurred by the government is the travel fare for the delegation from Kerala. However, NORCA Principal Secretary Suman Billa stated that he was unaware of any sponsorship offers and did not notice the tariff card.
The tariff card provides detailed offerings for each sponsorship level
Gold ($100,000): Includes stage seating, dinner with VIPs, 2 suite rooms, name display inside and outside the hotel, a banner at the registration desk, a 2-page advertisement in the conference souvenir, and luxury car facilities.
Silver ($50,000): Includes stage seating, dinner with VIPs, a suite room, name display inside and outside the hotel, a banner, and a one-page advertisement in the souvenir.
Bronze ($25,000): Includes all amenities of the Silver package except dinner and stage seating with VIPs.
Four main topics are set to be discussed during the American regional conference of the Lok Kerala Sabha: the role of American Malayalees in the development of New Kerala, expanding the Lok Kerala Sabha’s activities in America, the involvement of the new generation of American Malayalees in Malayalam language and culture, and the future of American immigration. Delegates will be accommodated at the conference hotel, and art programs will be staged on the 10th and 11th.
Meanwhile, the controversial nature of the fundraising and sponsorship practices surrounding the Lok Kerala Sabha Regional Conference has sparked concerns about transparency and accountability.
Information Courtesy: Manorama Online
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