Notice will also be issued to Mandya Tahsildar for hosting the party: DC

Srirangapatna: Mandya Tahsildar Chandrashekar S. Gali hosting a birthday party for his son at a hotel inside the high-security Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam where over 250 people attended violating COVID-19 norms on Wednesday night has snowballed into a major controversy and Srirangapatna Tahsildar has issued a show-cause notice to the hotel where the party was held. 

Star of Mysore had published a report yesterday under the title ‘Rule enforcer turns rule breaker!’ and had highlighted the issue. 

The notice to the hotel was issued by Srirangapatna Tahsildar Shwetha Ravindra yesterday that seeks an explanation from the hotel as to how so many people were allowed to gather at one place despite a ban on  large gatherings.

The hotel management has been asked to reply to the show-cause notice within 24 hours and if the hotel fails to do so, action would be taken under the provisions of Disaster Management Act 2005.

The notice, however, was not issued to the Mandya Tahsildar. This has raised many questions as to why only the hotel has been singled out for violating rules while the Tahsildar is being spared. Local residents say that notices should have been issued to the Tahsildar also as it was him who organised the party. 

Clarifying on this, Mandya Deputy Commissioner S. Aswathi told Star of Mysore that a probe has already been ordered and Mandya Assistant Commissioner will investigate along with Srirangapatna Tahsildar. “One Tahsildar cannot issue notices to another Tahsildar and as such, Srirangapatna Tahsildar has issued the notice to the hotel where the party was held. A show-cause notice will also be issued to Mandya Tahsildar,” she said. 

Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner Shivananda Murthy said that he has asked Srirangapatna Tahsildar to submit a report.

Mandya District Administration sources said that officers have raided many events in the past and have booked cases against COVID norms violators where there are large gatherings.

Tahsildar Chandrashekar Gali too was part of many such raids and such events were stopped midway and cases have immediately been registered against violators. In this case, however, there is a delay in even issuing notice to the Tahsildar for organising the party.