The Hindu : Kerala Lalithakala Akademi secretary replaced

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2002

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Kerala Lalithakala Akademi secretary replaced

By T. Ramavarman

THRISSUR DEC. 16. The secretary of the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, Sreemoolanagaram Mohan, has been replaced after reports of in-fight between him and the Chairman, Kanayi Kunhiraman, and other members of the Akademi Executive Committee.

According to reliable sources, Mr. Mohan has been asked to hand over charge to the district information officer, Sharaffuddin, who is also the treasurer of the Akademi. The deputation of Mr. Mohan, who was working in the Treasury Department, to the Akademi, had been for a period of one year. But the Government had decided not to extend his term, top officials of the Cultural Department told The Hindu here. Normally the period of appointment of the secretaries to the cultural bodies is for one year, and the usual practice has been to give them extension till the term of each Ministry ends.

This time the UDF Ministry had given a two-year term for the Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Secretary alone while the secretaries of all other cultural bodies were given one year-term, and subsequent extensions. However, in the case of Mr. Mohan the Government decided not to extent his term following the reports of intense dispute between him and the Executive Committee.

But curiously, Mr. Mohan claimed that he had given a letter to the Government today suggesting that he would not like to continue in the post of the secretary and that he would like to go back to his parent department. He said he was doing this because he found it impossible to work with this Executive Committee. He, however, denied reports of any misunderstanding between him and the Chairman.

But, the sources in the Cultural Department said this could only be pre-emptive move of Mr. Mohan as he would have come to know of the decision of the Government not to give him extension. According to the sources, the Executive Committee members had given a joint representation to the Government suggesting the termination of Mr. Mohan's appointment, about three months back.

Some of the Committee members alleged that Mr. Mohan was incapable of implementing the decisions taken by the Committee, though as the secretary that was his expected function. They said the work of the Academy was suffering because of the attitude of the secretary, and because of the difference of opinion between him and the Chairman.

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