Decision on PoSH panel to address sexual harassment complaints deferred, says filmmaker Lankesh
Bengaluru: The decision taken by the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce to form a PoSH committee headed by her to address sexual harassment complaints has been deferred, said filmmaker Kavitha Lankesh on Tuesday.
KFCC had constituted a 10-member Complaints Internal Committee under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act on December 1, Lankesh told PTI.
Incidentally, Lankesh is the president of Film Industry for Rights and Equality , an organisation that fights for women's rights and against abuse in the Kannada film industry.
FIRE has been pushing KFCC to form a committee on the lines of Justice Hema Committee that has encouraged many women to come out with their complaints against sexual predators in the Malayalam film industry.
"We had a meeting, and it was decided that I would be heading the committee," added Lankesh.
But now she has been informed that the decision has been deferred pending the election of new office-bearers, she said.
"I have been told that KFCC will convene a meeting post the election on December 15 and will decide on the committee on December 16. But people I know have told me that there was stiff opposition among some of the KFCC members for appointing me as the head of the committee," said Lankesh.
Actors Pramila Joshi and Sruthi Hariharan were also part of the committee, she said. Others included Karnataka Sexual Minorities Forum state coordinator Mallu Kumbar, women's rights activist Vimala K S, journalist Muralidhar Khajane, producer Sa Ra Govinda, playwright Shashikany Yadahalli and lawyer Rajalaxmi Ankalagi as well as KFCC president N M Suresh.
Suresh also confirmed to PTI that the decision had been deferred.
"I do not have the right to sign this order now as I am leaving the office. Since elections are underway, we decided to wait for the new office-bearers to take charge and then issue the formal order," said Suresh, refuting allegations that KFCC members are objecting to Lankesh being appointed as head.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Karnataka Assembly Speaker seeks probe after Aadhaar cards found on riverbank in Mangaluru
Mangaluru (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker U T Khader on Wednesday sought an inquiry after a large number of Aadhaar cards were found on the banks of the Nethravathi River here.
The cards were found at Farangipete in Pudu village of his Mangaluru Assembly constituency.
Khader, in a note to the Project Manager of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), Bengaluru, sought immediate intervention and necessary action against those responsible.
In the note dated March 4, he said that local residents noticed the Aadhaar cards along the riverbank on March 3.
Following information received from the public, the Pudu Gram Panchayat president and villagers collected the Aadhaar cards found scattered in the area. They subsequently brought the matter to his attention and the concerned authorities, he said.
Expressing concern over the incident, the Speaker has directed that a thorough investigation be conducted to ascertain how such a large number of Aadhaar cards ended up on the riverbank and to identify those responsible.
He instructed officials to initiate appropriate legal action through the concerned department at the earliest.
