Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder singh Hooda on Monday announced three new awards – `Haryanvi Puraskar, Hasya Puraskar and Mahila Rachnakar Puraskar' – to promote Haryanvi culture on a large scale.
Mr. Hooda made the announcement after presiding over the meeting of the Haryana Sahitya Akademi here.
He also announced to increase the amount of Mahakavi Surdas Samman Award from Rs. one lakh to Rs. 1.50 lakh and the amount of Haryana Sahitya Rattan Samman Award from Rs. two lakh to Rs. 2.50 lakh from this year.
He disclosed that a Knowledge Commission would also be established in the State to promote Haryanvi language and culture.
While urging the writers to exhort the people through their writings to eradicate social evils like dowry, female foeticide and so on, he suggested that that there should be at least two meetings of the governing council of the Akademi in a calendar year. Also, the books published by the Akademi should be sent to the school libraries, especially in the rural areas so that the students could be benefitted.
Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Haryana and Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Information, Public Relations and Cultural Affairs, K. K. Khandelwal, said that the budget of the Haryana Sahitya Akademi had been increased from Rs. 80 lakh to Rs. 2.25 crore.
Haryana Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal, Commissioner, Higher Education Saroj Siwach and Director Public Relations Shiv Raman Gaur were among those who attended the meeting
