Probe ordered into (he)art of the matter

The CKP is mired in controversies

It has ordered an inquiry into the allegations, including appointing an ‘unqualified’ person as principal of Fine Arts College run by the Parishat.

Following a direction from the State government, the Registrar of Co-operative Societies of Bangalore Urban district has appointed Additional Registrar of Co-operative Societies H D Ramesh to conduct an inquiry.

Deccan Herald, on March 7 this year, had carried a report stating that the Parishat had appointed an unqualified person, K S Appajaiah, as principal of the college. The notification for the inquiry, issued on March 19, 2009, has referred to the report carried in the daily.

The inquiry was ordered following a direction from the Government. The Chief Secretary held a meeting on the affairs of the CKP in November 2008. Additional chief secretary Dr Shanthakumari, who had served as administrator of the Parishat in the past, taking part in the meeting said that, there were more than the required staff and unqualified person appointed as principal.

Earning well

The meeting resolved that the Parishat was earning well from its art mart, rent of galleries and fee from students and there was no need for the Government to release additional grants to the Parishat. It also recommended an inquiry into allegations of misappropriations in the Parishat. Following the recommendation, the inquiry was ordered.

The inquiring officer has been asked to inquire into the procedures followed in appointing K S Appajaiah as principal, recruiting excess staff, expenditure incurred for various functions organised by the Parishat and allotment of art-work contracts without taking the executive committee into confidence.

H D Ramesh, the officer conducting the inquiry, had interacted with well-known artists and life-member of the Parishat K T Shivaprasad, executive committee members Babu Eshwar Prasad, S Gopinath and others who had complained the Government about the irregularities.

The artists, in their petition to the inquiring authority had demanded that the Parishat possesses art pieces worth crores of rupees.

“The Government should keep a vigil on the valuable works in the Parishat and take necessary measures to conserve those for the future generations,” the artists demanded. Ramesh also sought the records from the Parishat’s administration.
Ramesh said that he would be submitting his report of inquiry by month-end.