'OOD forms to be given at district KSP units'

To avoid any confusions and delay in granting ‘on official duty’ (OOD) leave to government employees who wish to take part in the 80th Akhila Bharatha Kannada Sahitya Sammelana, it has been decided that the Kannada Sahitya Parishat presidents of respective districts, grant OOD on the day of Sammelana.

The literary convention is scheduled to be held for three days starting from January 7. Decision by the Kodagu District Kannada Sahitya Parishat unit has brought a sigh of relief to enthused government employees and the initiative is likely to end the problem of granting OOD which was evident in literary conventions in the past. To make the process more systematic this time, the organisers will provide OOD forms to the district Kannada Sahitya Parishats based on the list of government employees that is prepared by the district units. The presidents of district units will distribute the forms to employees.

This is likely to avoid the problem faced by employees who were forced to run around in the literary meet venue seeking the form. Speaking to Deccan Herald, Kodagu Kannada Sahitya Parishat President T P Ramesh said that nearly 3,500 government employees had participated in the literary meet last year as against 30,000 OOD forms which were printed. There have been examples of sending some government employees to their district to get the forms, of obtaining the form by shelling out money. Therefore, an attempt is made this time, to solve the problem, he said.

A stall will be exclusively given for Kannada Sahitya Parishat district unit of every district. These stalls will distribute OOD forms to the government employees and coupons to representatives. This method will also avoid overcrowd in one particular stall, he said.
Meanwhile, he said that he has requested the deputy commissioner to grant three days leave during Sammelana and a days leave prior to Sammelana for making preparatory arrangements, to all schools and colleges in the district. Teachers and students should participate in a large number in the literary convention, he requested.