After months of confusion over dates and the debate on public permissibility of whether to sing Vande Mataram or not, the Culture ministry has formally announced to celebrate the centenary year of the “adoption” of the national song.

The allocation of Rs 2.5 crore, however, comes after the year-long celebration, which began last year, was wrapped up nearly two months ago, on Sept 7.

The money, sanctioned by the Cabinet this week, is part of the biggest-ever Rs 150-crore celebration package the ministry has received to celebrate the birth and death of important figures and observe significant events. The 2006 calendar has been particularly steeped in history: 150th year of the First War of Independence (1857), 60th anniversary of Indian Independence, birth and death centenary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, and, now belatedly, Vande Mataram.

About Rs 2.5 crore will be spent on the celebration of the birth and 75th anniversary of martyrdom of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, although it has already missed his death anniversary by six months.

But as the large bounty is set to arrive, a senior official reasoned that projects are only expected to come in now. “Vande Mataram will mainly be post celebrations. But we also have to account for some of the expenditure we have already incurred in organising functions.”

The expenses, so far have been Rs 15 lakh to organise two functions at Red Fort — to mark the beginning and end of celebrations to mark 100 years of Vande Mataram. In years that see less such commemorative occasions, the ministry gets an allocation of not more than Rs 2 crore to dole out to NGOs and associations keen on organising functions or erecting memorials. For the 50th year of India’s independence, it received Rs 50 crore.