The Government has decided to conduct the fourth World Telugu conference at Tirupati on December 27, 28 & 29 this year and is expecting 1,000 delegates from all over the globe and 10,000 others from within the State.
Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, who finalised the dates for the long-planned big event at a meeting here on Tuesday, sanctioned a budget of Rs. 25 crore, to fund the event. He agreed to release a sum of Rs. 5 crore immediately based on a plan of action presented by Director of Cultural Affairs, R. V. Prasada Raju.
To be revived
It was also decided to revive the State Nataka, Sangeetha, Lalitha Kala Akademis at the earliest as recommended by the Cabinet sub-committee constituted on the World Telugu conference headed by Cultural Affairs Minister Vatti Vasanth Kumar, to ensure better patronage of fine arts.
The NTR Government had scrapped these Akademis and established Telugu University to promote these arts.
The meeting also resolved to locate the cell of the Mysore-based Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) sanctioned by the Centre to promote Telugu classical language, in the State Art Gallery here.
Old-age pensions
It was decided to offer old age pensions of Rs. 500 each to 5,000 more artistes in addition to the present 10,000.
Ministers D. K. Aruna (Information), N. Raghuveera Reddy (Revenue), D. Sridhar Babu (Civil Supplies), K. V. Ramanachary, advisor, Cultural Affairs, and R. V. Ramana Murthy, chairman, State Cultural Council, attended the meeting.
Logo release
Mr. Vasanth Kumar said the Chief Minister would shortly inaugurate an office in Ravindra Bharati to start work for the Word Telugu conference and release a logo on Independence Day. Various committees would be formed with Ministers and legislators to oversee the arrangements.
A website would be launched to provide information and facilitate online registration of delegates.
As a prelude to the event, cultural conferences and exhibitions would be organised in districts in September.
