HC justifies Kapila's appointment as head of IGNCA

New Delhi, Mar 15 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today justified the appointment of noted culture czarina Kapila Vatsyayan to the post of the Chairperson of Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) in 2005 saying the Government did not commit any wrong.

A division bench of Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice H R Malhotra said, ''We are unable to see the element of colourable exercise of power or arbitration in various actions of the government.'' ''Her (Dr Vatsyayan) appointemnet as a 'life trustee' as made at the relevant time does not suffer from any legal infirmity,'' said the court while dismissing a public interest petition(PIL).

The court also dismissed the allegations of corruption and nepotism against her saying she was not directly heading the finance of the centre.

In a petition filed in October 2005, the IGNCA Employees' Union had alleged that ''Dr Vatsyayan is all set to be elected as the President of the IGNCA ... It is pertinent to mention that due to her proximity with a very powerful person, she is being given special treatment. All the relevant rules and regulations have been violated and flouted while reappointing her as member of IGNCA.'' During her earlier tenure between 1990-1993 as Member Secretary, between April 1993-March 1998 as Academic Director and as founder trustee of the IGNCA, Dr Vatsyayan had favoured several persons including her close relatives, alleged the petition filed by Counsel Manoj Kumar Singh on behalf of IGNCA Employees' Union General Secretary K N Valsakumar.

She had awarded tenders worth lakhs of rupees for publication of books and research materials to Abhinav Publications, owned by her brothers, the petition charged.

UNI