The State Government has fixed Rs. 5 lakh cash prize for the prestigious Kanaka Award and enhanced the purse of other 10 major annual awards.
In an order issued on August 18, the Government said that the existing cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh for nine awards had been enhanced to Rs. 3 lakh and the purse for the T. Chowdiah National Award raised from Rs.1.5 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh. The Government has announced the institution of the Kanaka Award and it is yet to select the first recipient.
The nine awards whose cash prizes have been raised are Dana Chintamani, Santa Shishunala, Shantala Natya, Janapada Sri, Jakanachari, Dr. Gubbi Veeranna, Kanaka-Purandara, Varnashilpi Venkatappa and Pampa awards.
The Government has reportedly, at the behest of the Chief Minister, issued the orders fixing and enhancing the cash prize for the awards following a report in The Hindu recently.
The report drew the attention of the Government to the promises the Chief Minister made at the presentation of Pampa Award in January at Banavasi.
However, the Government is yet to clarify on the long-pending presentation of the prestigious Basava Pursakar to Shivakumaraswamiji of Sri Siddaganga Math, Tumkur. The Department of Kannada and Culture had returned the cash prize of Rs. 10 lakh of the award during the last fiscal and later urged the Government to reallocate it for facilitating the presentation of the award.
