Mysore/Mysuru: A day after the current Kannada and Culture Department Assistant Director Dr. Sudarshan regretted that Mysuru Kalamandira had fallen woefully short of revenue earnings, his predecessor Assistant Director H. Channappa has clarified that the shortfall was only due to COVID pandemic.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Channappa, who was transferred out of Mysuru in June this year, said that during his tenure in Mysuru, he had written to his higher ups seeking funds for taking up Kalamandira roof repair works, other civil works and repair of Sound & Light equipment. But even as the correspondence on sanction of funds was going on, he was transferred. But  now the funds, for which he had strived for,  has been released, he maintained.

Continuing, he asserted that he had not let out Kalamandira or Kirurangamandira for free for anything else other than Govt. events. Besides, the Govt. itself had ordered to not let Kalamandira for rent due to COVID pandemic. As such, even though the Kalamandira did not earn any revenues during the pandemic, the minimum electricity charges had to be paid as usual.

As there was shortage of funds, the Kalamandira had to look for other sources of revenue, which took some time and hence, there was delay in payment of power bills, he noted. Contending that all these facts are known to everyone associated with Kalamandira and Rangayana, Channappa said that despite facing cash crunch, Kalamandira did not retrench any of it’s employees and paid them wages as per Government direction. Besides, all the personnel who were appointed on contract basis are still continuing their service in Kalamandira, he added.