Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan has constituted a committee comprising officials from various departments to oversee the management of the Kannada Bhavan located in Nehru Nagar, Belagavi.
The move follows a letter from Kannada activist Ashok Chandaragi, who raised objections to the premises being used by a private organisation for commercial purposes, despite the structure being funded by the government.
The Kannada Bhavan was built with grants of ₹3.2 crore from the Karnataka Border Area Development Authority and ₹2.9 crore from the Kannada and Culture Department. In a Karnataka Border Area Development Authority meeting held in Bengaluru on May 6, Chandaragi called for a DC-led officer committee to manage the Bhavan and ensure its purpose aligns with promoting Kannada language and culture.
He expressed concern that income from commercial outlets within the building is being utilized by a private group. “It is inappropriate to run commercial shops in a facility meant for the preservation of Kannada culture and public use,” he said, adding that such revenue should support cultural programmes and building maintenance.
The meeting noted that since 2010–11, Kannada Bhavans funded by the authority have been managed by DC-led committees, and the same model should be followed in Belagavi.
In a separate meeting on May 29 addressing border area issues, District Minister Satish Jarkiholi also backed forming a management committee under the DC’s leadership.
The newly formed committee will include the additional deputy commissioner and the secretary of the Karnataka Border Area Development Authority as permanent members. The BCC deputy commissioner (revenue) will serve as the member-secretary.
The committee is tasked with examining objections related to the commercial use of the premises. The member-secretary will collect rental records and related documents from the shops and submit them to the committee for review.
Chandaragi also suggested keeping programme charges minimal to encourage more Kannada cultural events at the venue.
DC Mohammad Roshan confirmed the committee’s formation and stated that a meeting would soon be held to discuss the next steps.
