Karnataka: Staffless' VS Ugrappa's report delayed

Bengaluru: There seems to be no one to hear the woes of Mr V.S. Upgrappa, chairman of the Expert committee on preventing sexual violence against women and children, who has been pleading for staff to help him prepare the final report and submit it to the state government.

Mr Ugrappa, a senior Congress leader and MLC, was appointed chairman of the panel, after senior parliamentarian M.C. Nanaiah stepped down in May last year. As per government protocol, the post of chairman is on par with a Cabinet Minister and he is entitled to an office, staff and vehicle to tour. Mr Ugrappa had been given a chamber in Vidhana Soudha and a car to tour all districts.

However, sources close to him told DC that the government had so far not provided the required two stenographers. The final report of the panel may cross one thousand pages but there are no stenographers to take dictation. Heads of various departments were passing the buck on providing stenographers.

As MLC, Mr Ugrappa has been given a personal secretary and a typist but he did not want to utilise their services as his post calls for separate staff to do the assigned job. "In the absence of stenographers to whom should I give dictation,”

Mr Ugrappa is learnt to have confided to his  friends. The sources claimed that the official car given to the chairman is old and and has frequent breakdowns. The repair bills have not been cleared yet because of confusion over who should foot the bill.

An inquiry by the panel revealed that the bill should be cleared by the Department of Protocol. However, that department washed its hands off stating that the reimbursement should be done by the Department of  Personnel Administration.