Daijiworld Media Network - Sullia (SP)
Sullia, Jan 29: The project director in the district urban development cell at the office of the deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada district has served notice on the town panchayat here, pointing out that permission of the competent authority had not been obtained for installing the statue of Dr Kurunji Venkataramana Gowda at the private bus stand here.
He warned that unless copy of the permission obtained for the same is not produced within ten days of the notice, steps would be taken to clear the statue from its place as per law.
The late Dr Kurunji Venkatramana Gowda was the founder of a chain of educational institutions under the Academy of Liberal Education which have been imparting education in the town.
A social worker from here, D M Sharikh, had complained to the deputy commissioner, saying that installation of the statue near the bus stand by the side of national highway has resulted in inconvenience for the general public using the bus stand.
On the basis of this complaint, chief officer of the town panchayat here, executive engineer of National Highways Authority of India, assistant executive engineer of PWD, chairman of KVG education trust and divisional engineer of Karnataka Road Development Corporation had been questioned on January 7.
Chief officer of the town panchayat here, Mattadi, said that the town panchayat had taken a decision to install the said statue but the statue was not got done by it. He said that there is no official record in the town panchayat about who installed it.
Defacing of statue's spectacles - one held
In the meanwhile, the spectacles of the said statue were found to have been defaced. The person concerned was identified, taken into custody by the police and subjected to questioning.
It was found on January 23 evening that the spectacles of the statue had been forcibly bent and damaged. The police were informed the same evening. Police sub-inspector, Manjunath, who visited the spot, had verified the footage of CCTV camera installed near the bus stand.