Kannada Bhavan lying idle

HUBLI: Even a month after the inauguration of the Kannada Bhavan in Ashok Nagar, no programme has been held there. Organizations intending to hold cultural programmes at the bhavan are waiting for the district administration to approve the guidelines and tariff recommended by the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC).
According to sources, a couple of organizations who had approached the corporation seeking permission to hold programmes on classical music were told that the civic body was yet to get approval of the administration on the tariff, deposit and other formalities.
In a bid to give good platform to local organizations for conducting various events and to promote Kannada, Kannada Bhavan was set up. It was inaugurated by chief minister Siddaramaiah on September 23.
Manoj Hanagal, president, Gangubai Hanagal Music Foundation, said, "I submitted an application to the HDMC for hiring the bhavan in the first week of October but I am yet to receive a response. I spoke to the deputy commissioner on Monday and he assured me that they would fix the tariff and deposit charges soon.''
H S Naregal, special officer, HDMC, said: "We have got a number of enquiries on hiring the bhavan and we have asked them to wait for sometime as the district administration is yet to approve the tariff and some formalities. We hope to get the apporoval by this weekend.''
"Finishing work is completed and security arrangements are in place at the Kannada Bhavan. We are waiting for the approval. We have held a meeting with the HDMC commissioner in this regard and have fixed tariff and deposit charges and have forwarded the file to the deputy commissioner for approval," he said.
Deputy commissioner Sameer Shukla told TOI: "The file has not come to my notice, I will look into the matter and approve it immediately."