Date:12/04/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/04/12/stories/2007041208210400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Report on Chitrakala Parishath today

Staff Reporter

Government aware of the situation: Minister

BANGALORE: The Government will present a comprehensive report on the administrative affairs of the Chitrakala Parishath to the House on Thursday, Minister for Higher Education D. H. Shankaramurthy told the Legislative Council on Wednesday.

Replying to a question by Saleem Ahmed (Congress) on the alleged anti-Kannada attitude of the Government appointed administrative officer concerned, the Minister said that the Government was aware of the situation in the Chitrakala Parishath and was taking steps to address the problems.

"Mukhyamantri" Chandru (BJP) and others alleged that the administrative officer had been favouring students who were fluent in English and deliberately denying attendance to Kannada-speaking students.

The officials concerned had made 127 of the 267 students ineligible for taking examinations due to attendance shortage.

The administrative officer who was responsible for such "bungling" should be suspended immediately, they demanded.

Mr. Shankaramurthy said that the Inter-University Board had been strictly following the specified norms on the issue of attendance in compliance with the Supreme Court directions.

Leader of the Opposition H.K. Patil said that the Government had discretionary powers to modify the existing rule on minimum mandatory attendance in the context of Chitrakala Parishath.