2 min readShimlaMar 21, 2012 03:42 AM IST
First published on: Mar 21, 2012 at 03:42 AM IST
In a new twist to the ongoing controversy over the International Roerich Memorial Trust (IRMT) — set up in memory of Russian painter Nicholas Roerich — the Himachal Pradesh government on Tuesday removed Alena Adamkova as curator-cum-executive director of Roerich Museum.
Alena,who is a Russian national,has been mired in controversy with other members of the trust accusing her of mismanagement and financial irregularity. Her contract had expired in December 2011 but she continued to function despite the state government having shown its displeasure to Russian Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Confirming the orders,principal secretary (Language,Art and Culture) Manisha Nanda said a letter was delivered to Alena informing her about the state government’s decision to not renew her services her contract expires.
Reports from Kullu,however,said the letter was handed over to Alena but she had replied and raised questions over the government’s decision. “We don’t know the basis of her objections to the government’s decision taken at the level of Trust’s Chairman,who happens to be the state’s chief minister. It’s quite simply that the Trust has not renewed the contract,” said an official here.
Alena had earlier rejected charges of mismanagement at the museum and claimed that certain people were levelling baseless allegations against her and carrying on a concerted campaign against the Trust and its activities at Naggar. The curator had,last month,also been summoned by the Kullu SP – who is also the Foreigners’ Registration Officer (FRO) – for verification of her visa papers.
The state Chief Secretary Rajwant Sandhu sometime back had written to the foreign secretary objecting to the renewal of Alena’s work visa that had expired but she apparently had already obtained the visa.
The trust was founded by Roerich’s daughter-in-law,late film actress Devika Rani. The 13-member trust also has Russian Ambassador to India,Alexander M Kadakin as a trustee,while CM Prem Kumar Dhumal is the ex-officio chairman.
Share
