Artistes unpaid, left in the lurch

The members of tableaux teams and folk artistes were asked to vacate their place of stay soon after the completion of the first day programmes.

Bed and other facilities provided to them were also withdrawn and they were compelled to spend the night in the open. They were also not paid their dues as promised.

Irked by the shabby treatment meted out to them, some folk artistes even staged a dharna in front of Kumar Gandharva Rangamandir demanding their payment.

“We would have performed happily without payment. But you promised us payment. If impossible, say no and we will return to our places,” one of them was heard arguing with the assistant director of Kannada and Culture Department. The artistes have arrived from various parts of the State to take part in the convention.

The organisers even asked the mahouts of Dasara elephants Balarama, Krishna and Sudharani to return to their respective places on Saturday evening itself.

It was earlier declared that the jumbos would be in the city on all the three days of the event.