Ninety-one people from various walks of life, including writers Sa.Shi. Marulaiah and G.S. Siddalingaiah, and medical director of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases Shashidhar Buggi, are the recipients of this year’s Kempe Gowda award.
The award, instituted by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), carries a purse of Rs. 15,000, a citation and a shawl. The award will be given away during Kempe Gowda Day celebrations at the BBMP head office on Saturday.
Mayor N. Shanthakumari said the list of winners was finalised by after a scrutiny by a committee. The committee, which includes the Mayor, Deputy Mayor K. Ranganna, Ruling Party Leader N.R. Ramesh, Opposition leaders B.N. Manjunath Reddy and R. Prakash, and former Mayors S.K. Nataraj, D. Venkatesh Murthy, and B.S. Sathyanarayana, went through over 300 applications that had come in for the award.
Last year, 187 people were given the award. Ms. Shanthakumari conceded that the committee shortlisted names of people who had not submitted applications as well. She also said that 125 BBMP employees would also be given the award for service and they would be given a silver medal each.
The Kempe Gowda Day celebrations will begin with the garlanding of the Kempe Gowda statue at N.R. Square, in front of the BBMP head office, at 8 a.m., which will be followed by processions from the four watch towers built by the “founder” of Bengaluru. The processions will reach BBMP head office at 10.30 a.m.
The award will be given away during Kempe Gowda Day celebrations today
