Deputy Commissioner K.V. Thrilokchandra hailed the contribution of Masti Venkatesha Iyengar to the Kannada literary field.
He was speaking after inaugurating the Masti Namana programme organised to mark 124th birth anniversary of the literary personality at T. Chennaiah Rangamandira on Saturday.
The award was bestowed on Padmanabha Bhat, Shevkar and Abbas Melinamani. Writer Krishnamurthy Hanur and literary critic S.R. Vijayshankar delivered lectures.
The event was organised by Masti Venkatesha Iyengar Trust, Kannada and Culture Department and Kannada Sahitya Parishat.
