The High Court on Monday directed the State Government to expedite the process of finalising the proposed Rules for selection of films and artists for the State Film Awards, while disposing of a petition by writer and former chairman of Kannada Development Authority, Baraguru Ramachandrappa.

Baragur’s petition, filed in 2007, had asked the Court to direct the State Information department to frame scientific and objective guidelines for selecting deserving films for State Film Awards.

He had also sought the declaration of selections made for the awards of the year 2006-07 as invalid and arbitrary, while challenging non-selection of his film ‘Janapada’ under the Best Film category.
At the hearing on Monday, Baragur’s advocate sought the Court to dismiss his prayer regarding the 2006-07 awards.

However, as regards the guidelines for selection of films for awards in future, the Information department had filed a statement saying that it had framed Draft Rules with regard to selections.
The same is notified as part of proposed Comprehensive Kannada Film Policy, and will be finalised after necessary approval from the State Government, it had said.

Baragur’s counsel said that the Draft Rules were cryptic and incomplete.
The counsel sought to reserve Baragur’s right to file objections to the Draft Rules while saying that the same should be finalised only after considering such objections. He also sought a direction to expedite the process of finalising the Rules.

Justice Anand Byra Reddy disposed of the petition while noting that the Draft Rules were incomplete and were not in conformity with the National Film Awards Regulations.

 The Court directed the State Government to expedite the process of finalising the proposed Rules, immediately after completing all required formalities.

Shiradi Ghat Road

The High Court directed the State Government to file a statement revealing the stage of works for repairing the stretch of National Highway-48 from Sakleshpur to Mangalore, better known as Shiradi Ghat Road.

In the course of a PIL in the matter, advocate Puttige Ramesh said that road work was going on in a slow pace, while State and Central Government authorities were engaged in blame game. However, Government counsel Srinivasa Gowda claimed that the work, entrusted to three contractors, was progressing on a war-footing.
The Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph opined that work should be completed before the rainy season, starting in June. It, however, adjourned the hearing for one month, while directing the Government counsel to furnish a statement regarding the works completed at that time.