Thiruvananthapuram, 22 Oct (H.S.): The Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) spent approximately ₹475 crore on advertisements and publicity programmes between 2016 and 2026, according to information drawn from its annual accounts and the Sudha Pillai committee report.

Nearly ₹216 crore went towards three editions of “Ente Keralam”, the anniversary celebrations of the previous LDF government led by Pinarayi Vijayan. This was more than twice the ₹87 crore sanctioned by KIIFB for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe development projects.

Expenditure on the anniversary programme stood at ₹52.03 crore in 2022-23, ₹67.45 crore in 2023-24 and ₹96.44 crore in 2025-26, the reports stated.

The audit observations questioned the use of funds intended for infrastructure development to meet expenditure on government celebrations. These payments were made under government orders, even as Kerala faced borrowing restrictions imposed by the Centre.

KIIFB also spent ₹12.95 crore on infrastructure arrangements for the Keraleeyam festival in 2023-24.

Annual publicity expenditure, which remained below ₹2 crore until 2018-19, rose to ₹25.33 crore in 2019-20. This included ₹13.61 crore for the “Kerala Nirmithi” exhibition inaugurated by then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

After the pandemic halted the exhibitions, substantial amounts were spent advertising constituency-level KIIFB development projects through 14 television channels and radio.

According to the Sudha Pillai committee, appointed by the UDF government, advertising and publicity expenditure reached ₹203.72 crore in 2025-26, ahead of the Assembly election.

Auditors questioned publicity expenditure in KIIFB’s accounts for three consecutive years. Responding, KIIFB maintained that it funded the events under government orders and kept publicity spending within budgets approved by its general body.

Economist K.P. Kannan criticised the expenditure, describing such spending with borrowed money as unnecessary and deeply shocking. He called for government action over the use of borrowed funds for publicity and celebrations, amid the State’s financial constraints and continuing restrictions on its borrowing.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman