The Hindu : Kannada and Culture Dept. in another controversy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 15, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Kannada and Culture Dept. in another controversy

By Jyothi Raghuram and K.N. Venkatasubba Rao

By Jyothi Raghuram

and K.N. Venkatasubba Rao

Bangalore Oct. 14. The Department of Kannada and Culture finds itself in the thick of another controversy for sanctioning Rs. one lakh to a Mysore-based private organisation for bringing out CDs and audiocassettes in violation of the relevant norms, while denying the same financial assistance to a "Dalit-supported" cultural organisation in Bangalore.

In the budget for 2002-03, the department had sanctioned financial help of Rs. one lakh (the maximum amount permitted for certain categories of cultural programmes) to Sri Jagadguru Shivarathreshwara Mahavidyapeetha, Ramanuja Road, Mysore, for bringing out the CDs and cassettes.

According to sources, the Minister concerned gave instructions to grant the maximum amount permissible to the Mahavidyapeetha "without any hurdles".

On May 14, 2003, the Gowrishankara Academy for Culture and Sports Trust, Bangalore, released audiocassettes of folk songs. The songs, "selected after a study of folk arts and culture", was meant especially for women and children, and to "kindle children's imagination and increase their memory and concentration".

A month before the cassettes were released, on April 13, 2003, the Trust applied to the Directorate of Kannada and Culture seeking financial aid for the purpose. In its detailed estimate submitted to the directorate, the Trust claimed it would incur an expenditure of Rs. 1.85 lakh.

The Minister concerned, in a letter dated May 3, 2003, to the Director of Kannada and Culture, said: "... the Trust has requested financial help from the Government for bringing out audiocassettes of folk songs from the collection of the Minister for Women and Child Welfare, Motamma, and the matter may be examined and necessary steps taken."

In response, the department, after perusing earlier records, wrote back to the Minister that financial help could be given. However, the directorate sent a rejection letter dated September 26, 2003, stating that the department could not extend monetary assistance "under the existing norms".

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Kannada and Culture Dept. in another controversy