The State Government will soon resume supplying sandalwood at subsidised rates to artisans, Home Minister V.S. Acharya announced here on Monday.
Speaking after presenting the State Handicraft Awards for 2007-08 and 2008-09 here, he said the Karnataka Handicraft Development Corporation Limited (KSHDC), which procures sandalwood artefacts from the artisans, has been requesting the Government to restore the provision, which was discontinued about five years ago.
“I will take up the issue with the Finance and other departments and ensure that an order is issued at the earliest,” said Dr. Acharya.
The Government is contemplating loans at subsidised rates even to artisans, he said.
Production hit
Earlier, Lukose Vallatharai, Managing Director, KSHDC, said lack of subsidised sandalwood for the past five years has affected production of sandalwood handicrafts, leaving many craftspersons jobless. Twenty artisans received the State awards and nine were given merit certificates.
The award carries Rs. 25,000 each in cash and a citation.
The recipients of merit certificate were given a cash award of Rs. 10,000 each.
Award winners
Awards for 2007-2008 — Lakshman Rao, Mysore (rosewood carving); Subbarao, Mysore (rosewood carving); B.P. Balakrishna, Sagar (woodcarving); J.S. Vivekananda, Sorab (woodcarving); Manjunatha Acharya, Bangalore (stone carving); Shah Majeed Quadri, Bidar (Bidri and metal craft); Rajkumar, Bidar (Bidri and metal craft); S.C. Siddegouda, Bangalore (lacquer ware and pottery); J.H. Kavitha, Bangalore (textile-based craft); Padma Hublikar, Bangalore (traditional painting); and Kishore Chitragar (new innovation);
Awards for 2008-2009 — G. Vinod, Mysore (rosewood carving); K. Mohan, Mysore (rosewood carving); Trivikrama Gudigar, Shikaripura (woodcarving); Suresh Gudigar, Ramanagara (woodcarving); B.K. Dhananjaya Acharya, Shimoga (stone carving); Yekappa Ramachandrappa Chitragar, Koppal (lacquer ware and pottery); H. Anjana Venkatachala, Sirsi (textile-based craft); Girija, Mysore (traditional painting); and Manappa Kru Honakamble, Gadag (new innovation).
Merit certificate
Keshava Kutti, Mysore (rosewood); Sita Rajendra, Kumta (woodcarving); Parvath- amma, Soraba (woodcarving); Habeebuddin, Mohammed Fazuddin, Bidar (Bidri); S.B. Haleshappa, Shimoga (lacquer ware, pottery); Shantha R. Heggade and Parinitha S. Vadappi (textile-based craft); and Saraswathi Nayak, Karwar (traditional painting).
