Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H.K. Patil has termed the ‘Gram Charitra Kosha’, an encyclopaedia of villages in the State, the first initiative of its kind in the world.
He was inaugurating an interaction programme of editors of district editions of the encyclopaedia, at the Karnataka State Folklore University at Gotagodi in Shiggaon taluk of Haveri district on Saturday.
Mr. Patil said the public was yet to understand the significance of the project. “But we should feel proud that this initiative of reconstructing the history of villages, which has hitherto not been attempted by anyone, is being taken up in Karnataka,” he said.
The Minister lauded the university for taking up the work of recording the history and development of villages in the State, which was one of the priority areas of the department. He called upon all subject experts to make efforts to record even minute details.
He said the State government was committed to extending financial assistance for the project, which aims to collect and record every detail pertaining to villages, including information on families, castes, tribes, business, agriculture, geography, fairs, rituals and facilities.
The Minister asked the university to ensure that work was carried out without giving any scope for criticism.
He hoped that the ‘Grama Charitra Kosha’ would become a reference book for people to find out about their villages, its history, economy, social conditions and achievements as well as what was lacking.
Presiding over the function, Vice-Chancellor of the university Ambalike Hiriyanna elaborated on the project.
The former Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Somanna Bevinamarad, MLC, the former MLA Ajjam Peer Khadri, and Registrar (Evaluation) S.C. Ramesh were present. Registrar D.B. Naik welcomed the gathering.
