Outgoing KSP chief has misused Parishat funds, rivals allege

Minutes of meeting are also not maintained

Supporters of Sarvottam Anchan, who is contesting for the post of district Kannada Sahitya Parishat President, alleged that the immediate past president Pradeep Kumar Kalkura had not presented and maintained accounts of district Kannada Sahitya Parishat for the last ten years.  

Addressing a press meet here on Tuesday, JD(S) leader M G Hegde said that as the previous president had failed to provide detailed report on the accounts, the Deputy Commissioner has withheld a sum of Rs 2 lakh to be paid to the Parishat for organising Dasa Sahitya Sammelan.

Citing that change is essential for the growth of language and literature, Hegde said that unfortunately, the previous president Pradeep Kumar Kalkura has been in power for the last ten years and is not ready to accept the change.

“This adamant behaviour of Kalkura prompted former state KSP president Harikrishna Punarooru to field a candidate, who belongs to Billava community. Sarvotham Anchan, backed by Punarooru and a group of KSP members had filed the nominations for the election scheduled to be held on April 29,” he said

The previous president was not even maintaining the minutes of the proceedings of the meeting of Sahitya Parishat.

“When we sought information on accounts of the district Sahitya Parishat through RTI Act, we got the accounts of Sahitya Sammelan conducted by the previous president in the district and not the accounts of the Sahitya Parishat,” he revealed

Violation

Writer and Kallacchu Prakashana Publisher Mahesh R Nayak said “District Information Officer and Kannada and Culture department Assistant Director were not included in the Committee of district Kannada Sahitya Parishat by the previous president, thus violating the rules of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat.

“In fact, the previous president had not even handed over all the documents pertaining to the Parishat to Kannada and Culture department after the election was announced in
Dakshina Kannada district,” he said.

“We have come to know that a sum of Rs 25 lakh was sanctioned to the district Kannada Sahitya Parishat during 2011-12. However, there is no bill, receipt and voucher with regard to utilisation of the amount. The money has been utilised unnecessarily.

The religious heads were unnecessarily included in the Sahitya Parishat programmes and their car expenditure has been paid by the Sahitya Parishat,” he alleged by showing all documents.

Membership campaign

District Karnataka Rakshana Vedike President Dr Annayya Kulal said “even membership campaign was not carried out by the previous president properly. The membership was given to people from a particular community. The membership applications were not kept open. One had to run from pillar to post to get the application,” he added.