Last year, 12,000 free passes printed; following huge demand, free pass numbers grow five times
Mysuru: This Dasara, the Flower Show Sub-Committee and other organisers of Dasara Flower Show at Kuppanna Park have printed a whopping 55,000 free passes to be distributed among VVIPs, VIPs, their families, friends and relatives.
There are three categories of VVIP free passes printed jointly by Horticulture Department, Zilla Panchayat and District Horticulture Association. While one pass allows entry for one person, another is entry for two and the last one permits free entry for four.
Every year, 12,000 passes are usually printed to be given as a ‘gesture’ to satisfy the demands of the VVIPs. This year, the number has gone up to 55,000 showing that more and more people want to witness the Flower Show without paying a penny. The Flower Show with more than 40,000 pots and attractive displays, was thrown open to public on Sept. 29. While each adult is charged Rs. 30, children (below 6 years) have to pay Rs. 15 for entry. So that means, the cost of 55,000 passes is a whopping Rs. 16,50,000 if all the pass holders are adults and Rs. 8,25,000 if all the pass holders are children.
The tender for the Flower Show has gone for Rs. 1.13 crore and the tender-holder has the responsibility of bearing the loss that has arisen out of the free pass distribution. On Sept. 29, 4,200 adults, 1,100 children and 3,800 pass holders visited the Flower Show taking the total number of visitors to 9,100. On Sept. 30, 21,692 people visited the Kuppanna Park including 12,304 adults, 3,402 children and 5,986 free pass holders.
On Oct. 1, the Flower Show saw 11,604 footfalls with 5,352 adults, 3,402 children and 2,850 pass holders and on Oct. 2 being Gandhi Jayanthi holiday, 37,848 visitors came to the show including 23,950 adults, 6,370 children and 7,528 free pass holders. On Oct. 3, 22,384 visitors came to the Kuppanna Park including 11,540 adults, 6,824 children and 4,020 free pass holders.
This is ridiculous, last year 12000 free passes were issued. This year 55000 free passes have been printed to be issued. On the top of it revenue loss is in the account of the exhibitor. At this rate, next year no exhibitor will shoulder the responsibility of conducting the show, when he knows he will be under loss.
55,000 venial scumbags and freeloading netas and babus and their kith and kin and hangers-on! When free passes could have been given to poor, deserving children (hyacinths to feed the soul, as well as bread for the body, as the poet said!). Another egregious example of our socialism for the rich and capitalism for the poor!