A severe fund crunch has pushed the State’s premier cultural academies into crisis, disrupting salary disbursement and administrative functioning, according to reports.The Kerala Sahitya Akademi and Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi are facing acute financial stress as the government has not released plan and non-plan funds on time, making it difficult to pay salaries. The situation is further complicated by the absence of governing bodies in these institutions following the change in government, leaving no authorised official to take key decisions or sign financial documents.At the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, salary payments for around 65 employees have reportedly been stalled due to delays in submitting expenditure details related to the Indian Cultural Congress held in Kochi from December 20 to 22 last year. The previous government had allocated approximately ₹4.5 crore for the event. However, despite the Culture department seeking detailed utilisation reports, the akademi is yet to submit the required documents, it is learnt. This has reportedly led to the withholding of further funds.Meanwhile, sources indicated that even Budget allocations and plan funds have not been released to the sahitya akademi and sangeetha nataka akademi, worsening the financial strain.Amid the crisis, cultural organisation Samskara Sahithi leaders alleged that the financial crisis stems from the alleged misuse of cultural institutions for government publicity programmes over the past decade of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) rule. District chairperson Sathar Adoor and convener Anil Samrat, in a representation to the Culture Minister, called for a comprehensive inquiry into the functioning and financial transactions of the academies.They demanded the immediate appointment of new governing bodies, cancellation of alleged backdoor appointments made in recent years, and publication of a ‘cultural White Paper.’ They also sought strict legal action against those found responsible for financial irregularities and misuse of public funds. Published - June 03, 2026 08:26 pm IST