The Kannada and Culture Minister, Umashree has announced that the prize money given to the winners of the Karnataka Natak Academy Honorary Awards and annual Academy awards would be increased substantially from next year.
Speaking after conferring the Natak Academy Honorary and Academy awards for the year 2013 and 2014 in Kalaburagi on Sunday night, Ms. Umashree was referring to the demand made by the Academy Chairman Sheikh Master for increasing the prize money and said that prize of Rs. 10,000 given to the winners of the honorary awards of the Academy would be increased to Rs. 50,000 and the prize money of Rs. 5000 given to the winners of the Academy Awards would be increased to Rs. 25,000 from 2015.
She said that the government was considering to extend the “Kaya Kalpa” scheme to the professional theatre artists also. The government would also provide financial assistance to the theatre activities by the college students in their colleges and the local villagers in their Village Jathras and fairs.
To prevent the menace of the middlemen, for the first time the Kannada and Culture Department has decided to pay the amount due to the artists for performing various programmes and pensions directly to the savings accounts of the beneficiaries through RTGS. The finance department has also given its nod for introducing this scheme.
She said that the within ten days the Kannada and Culture Department would convert itself into a paperless office and this would further streamline the functioning of the office. The Minister said the report submitted by Baragur Ramachandra on the state policy on culture would be placed before the Cabinet soon for getting its approval and implementation.
Referring to the demand for uniform rent in all the Rangamandiras in the state, Ms. Umashree said that a high level officials meeting has been convened at Bengaluru on January 5 to finalise a decision on this. The government also proposes to organise Women Cultural Festival in all the Divisions in the state and the first festival was held in Tumkur recently.
Allamprabhu Patil, MLC Presided over the award distribution ceremony which is being held for the first time in Kalaburagi and Kannada Development Authority Chairman Dr. L. Govindaiah released a booklet introducing the academy award winners. Chairman of the Natak Academy, Sheikh Master was present.
