An air-conditioned auditorium would be built near the new integrated Collectorate complex coming up in the city, Transport Minister K.N. Nehru has said.
Inaugurating the Muthamizh Kalai Panpattu Maiyam, an organisation floated under the auspices of the District Welfare Fund Committee for promoting arts and culture here recently, Mr.Nehru said steps would also be taken to get required funds for building an auditorium in the Kalaiarangam complex, where the committee is located.
Commending the various initiatives taken by the Welfare Fund Committee, Mr.Nehru observed that this was a unique institution in the State and no other district had such a committee, which was started by K.A.P.Viswanatham.
The committee, he pointed out, was giving awards for best books and the recently opened Tiruchi Academy for Competitive Examinations was benefitting a large number of students in preparing for competitive exams, including civil services exams. The committee has also successfully built the Kalaignar Arangam, a large meeting hall, benefitting the residents.
T.Soundiah, Collector and chairman of the committee, who presided over, said the newly started Kalai Panpattu Maiyam would conduct a summer arts camp in the city for the benefit of students from April 26. Stressing the importance of promoting awareness about Tamil culture and arts among the younger generation who are susceptible to alien cultural influences, Mr.Soundiah appealed to the students to participate in the camp in large numbers.
He also announced that the newly floated organisation would take steps to document arts and cultural history of Tiruchi district with the help of scholars.
Earlier, clarinet maestro A.K.C.Natarajan was conferred the award Isai Kalai Maamani award by Mr.Nehru on behalf of the committee.
Mr.Nehru, the Vizhuthugal Self Help Group, K.Govindaraj, P.Selvaraj, V.J.Senthil, A.Francis Joseph, T.Sankaralingam, K.Rangarajan and Fayaz, who contributed various sums of money to the organisation and enrolled as patrons, were presented with certificates by Mr.Soundiah.
Corporation Commissioner T.T.Balsamy, S.Sathyaseelan, A.V.Rajagopalan, Revathi Muthusamy and R.Gunasekaran, Assistant Director of Arts and Culture, spoke.
