Sahitya Akademi courts controversy

New Delhi, Apr 27 (UNI) The Sahitya Akademi has run into trouble after it chose a controversial official based in Bangalore to succeed its outgoing Secretary Prof. K Satchidanandan.

A Krishnamurthy, who is the Regional Secretary of the Akademi in Bangalore, was selected from among 10 candidates who were interviewed by a panel that included eminent Kannada playwright Chandrashekhar Kambar and Gujarati critic Bholabhai Patel.

The selection has now been mired in a controversy after the Union Culture Ministry refused permission to appoint Krishnamurthy, who was investigated by the CBI for a financial irregularity in the Akademi three years ago.

According to Ministry sources, the Akademi did not obtain clearance from the Cabinet Screening Committee before the selection to the 'A' Grade post, which is under a general ban.

''The appointment of a new Secretary required prior permission from the Cabinet Screening Committee, which was not sought in this case,'' said a senior Ministry official.

Prof. Satchidananan, a renowned Malayalam poet, is due to retire on May 31.

The CBI had handled the case against Krishnamurthy, who allegedly received commission for buying stationery for the Akademi. An internal inquiry by the Akademi absolved him of the charges.

According to sources, the Akademi is now planning to bring Krishnamurthy through the backdoor by appointing him as Officiating Secretary for which no prior permission is needed.

Literary circles say Krishnamurthy heads the ''worst organised'' Akademi Regional Office. ''There are no publications, no photographs of authors in his office,'' said a writer based in the capital.

Two prominent academicians - Jawaharlal Nehru University teacher Makarand Paranjpaye and Oriya scholar Sumanyu Satpathi - were on the shortlist of the candidates for the interview, but both stayed away from the interview held on April 14 after it emerged that Krishnamurthy's appointment was a mere formality, the sources said.

''Either of the two would have been an ideal choice for the post,'' said the writer.

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