The Harish Rawat government is on the back foot on making payment of Rs.47 Lakh to Indian Cricket captain Virat Kohli for doing a one minute commercial for the Uttarakhand government.

The issue came to light through an RTI query, which revealed about the payment. Earlier it was publicized that Kohli did not charged any money for the commercial.

The production company of Sufi & Bollywood singer Kailash Kher, Kailesh Entertainment Ltd., was provided the amount for the one-minute-long commercial promoting Uttarakhand as a safe tourist destination.

BJP has termed it misuse of disaster relief fund as the payment was made by Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority.

The issue has become a hot political issue with both Congress and BJP terming each other wrong.

BJP leader Ajendra Ajay obtained the information through RTI and now his party is on the offensive against the Congress.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said, “Is it a crime to engage to Virat Kohli in Uttarakhand promotion? It is the jurisdiction of the State Government to make payment from any head. It was our success that we managed to involve Kohli for promotion of the Char Dham. If the BJP wants any inquiry into misuse of disaster relief fund they should give the complain in writing, we will conduct the probe under a retired judge of the Supreme Court.”

Providing clarification is not helping Harish Rawat much as many disaster hit villages are waiting for rehabilitation. Many villages lost their pedestrian bridges in the 2013 flood and are yet to be reconstructed.

On rehabilitation and other relief works, the Uttarakhand government constantly make excuse of low funds and also accuses central government for providing step-motherly treatment to the hill state.

But, Harish Rawat government had adopted a generous approach towards Kailesh Khar. A sum of  Rs.6.33 Crore has been made to the Sufi singer for making a documentary, serial and advertisement film on Kedarnath.

Nobody knows if the sum mentioned for the commercial, involving cricketer Virat Kohli, is included or is additional to the Rs.6.33 Crore.