Lalit Kala Academy told to file reply on charges by union

The court issued notices to the Centre and two other respondents, including N. Sivasubramanian, administrator of the Academy.

The order follows a petition filed by the Lalit Kala Academy Workers’ Union secretary Jamil Ahmad. According to the union, the Lalit Kala Academy Take Over Management Act 1997 should be declared illegal, null and void and of no legal effect.

The Government of India had promulgated the Lalit Kala Academy Take Over Management Act on January 24 last year. Under Section 4 of the Act, an administrator was appointed by the Government to carry on the management of the Academy and was given wide and sweeping powers under the Act, including the power of general council and the executive board.

The petitioner alleged that the administrator has also tried to amend the constitution of the Academy which has been challenged by some of the artistes.

The bench said that an advance copy of the reply should be made available to the petitioner’s counsel to enable him to file a rejoinder within a week. The matter will come up for hearing on January 13.

The petitioner also sought the appointment of a retired judge or an independent investigating agency to probe into various acts of alleged omission and commission by the administrator during his tenure. The union further said that the appointment of N. Sivasubramanian should be quashed.