Bangalore: Five persons will be making the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi proud this year during the 59th Karnataka Rajyotsava Awards, as announced here on Thursday October 30.
The government decided to restrict the prestigious Karnataka Rajyotsava awards to 59 this year out of which five awardees are from the coastal district. These incldude, Kabaddi pro Mamatha Poojary, senior journalist Sandhya Sathish Pai, Jaya C Suvarna from Mulky residing in Mumbai, Vanase Narayana Ganiga from Udupi district and Sampaje Sheenappa Rai from Dakshina Kannada district.
A committee constituted for selecting the award winners, headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, had shortlisted 120 persons for the annual award, which carries a purse of Rs. 1 lakh cash and a gold medal each.
Around 1, 924 applications were received from award aspirants from various parts of the State out of which the committee screened all the applications and brought down the number to 120, after according priority to regional representation, social justice, age and contribution of a person to a concerned field.
A committee of experts comprising heads of various academies, the Kannada Sahitya Parishat and important cultural personalities headed by the late U.R. Ananthamurthy was formed to advise the official committee to recommend names for the awards.
Cabinet Ministers, including K.J. George, D.K. Shivakumar, H.K. Patil, Vinaykumar Sorake, M.B. Patil, Umashree, and members of expert committees took the decision.
