<p>Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has decided to take over the affairs of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat (KSP), the 110-year-old premier literary body, by appointing an administrator in the wake of allegations of mismanagement. </p><p>However, the order appointing Kannada & Culture director Gayithri KM as the KSP administrator would come into effect only after the government gets a green signal from the high court. </p><p>The high court was hearing a writ petition filed by KSP seeking a stay on the September 15 notice issued by the government on appointing an administrator. The court would take up the matter next on October 14. </p>.Karnataka gets highest number of medical seats in country .<p>KSP president Mahesh Joshi, who was elected in 2021 for a five-year term, has been accused of overlooking financial irregularities. </p><p>As a precursor to appointing an administrator at KSP, the cooperation department is investigating allegations against Joshi, who has denied them. </p><p>The department is probing 17 counts of misconduct under Joshi’s presidency. Of them, the inquiry officer received “partial” responses or explanations for only seven. In an interim report, the inquiry officer said the charges were serious, setting the stage for the appointment of an administrator. The KSP management has been accused of not cooperating with the inquiry despite multiple time extensions. </p><p>The government is probing allegations over byelaw amendments that were supposed to allegedly help Joshi consolidate power, misappropriation of grants received from the government and so on. This includes failure to show utilisation of Rs 2.5 crore of government funds towards the 87th All India Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held in Mandya. </p><p>A final notice was issued to KSP on the administrator’s appointment on September 17. Then, on September 22, the KSP secretary appeared before the inquiry officer and failed to provide satisfactory answers, according to the cooperation department’s order. </p><p><strong>Collective responsibility, says Joshi</strong></p><p>When contacted, Joshi told DH that the KSP will apprise the high court of all developments. </p><p>“I’m not the only person who makes decisions. There’s collective responsibility. There are two committees -- the finance committee and the executive committee -- that approve all decisions,” Joshi said. </p><p>Joshi said he had sought more time to provide information to the inquiry officer citing procedures under byelaws. </p><p>“There are motivated complaints against me,” Joshi, a former additional director general at Doordarshan, said. “They say amendments to byelaws would make a dictator. The amendments were approved by cooperation department officials. So, they’re investigating their own people!” he said. </p>
<p>Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has decided to take over the affairs of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat (KSP), the 110-year-old premier literary body, by appointing an administrator in the wake of allegations of mismanagement. </p><p>However, the order appointing Kannada & Culture director Gayithri KM as the KSP administrator would come into effect only after the government gets a green signal from the high court. </p><p>The high court was hearing a writ petition filed by KSP seeking a stay on the September 15 notice issued by the government on appointing an administrator. The court would take up the matter next on October 14. </p>.Karnataka gets highest number of medical seats in country .<p>KSP president Mahesh Joshi, who was elected in 2021 for a five-year term, has been accused of overlooking financial irregularities. </p><p>As a precursor to appointing an administrator at KSP, the cooperation department is investigating allegations against Joshi, who has denied them. </p><p>The department is probing 17 counts of misconduct under Joshi’s presidency. Of them, the inquiry officer received “partial” responses or explanations for only seven. In an interim report, the inquiry officer said the charges were serious, setting the stage for the appointment of an administrator. The KSP management has been accused of not cooperating with the inquiry despite multiple time extensions. </p><p>The government is probing allegations over byelaw amendments that were supposed to allegedly help Joshi consolidate power, misappropriation of grants received from the government and so on. This includes failure to show utilisation of Rs 2.5 crore of government funds towards the 87th All India Kannada Sahitya Sammelana held in Mandya. </p><p>A final notice was issued to KSP on the administrator’s appointment on September 17. Then, on September 22, the KSP secretary appeared before the inquiry officer and failed to provide satisfactory answers, according to the cooperation department’s order. </p><p><strong>Collective responsibility, says Joshi</strong></p><p>When contacted, Joshi told DH that the KSP will apprise the high court of all developments. </p><p>“I’m not the only person who makes decisions. There’s collective responsibility. There are two committees -- the finance committee and the executive committee -- that approve all decisions,” Joshi said. </p><p>Joshi said he had sought more time to provide information to the inquiry officer citing procedures under byelaws. </p><p>“There are motivated complaints against me,” Joshi, a former additional director general at Doordarshan, said. “They say amendments to byelaws would make a dictator. The amendments were approved by cooperation department officials. So, they’re investigating their own people!” he said. </p>
