Date:29/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/29/stories/2008102953480400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Rajyotsava Award list on October 31: Yeddyurappa

Special Correspondent

80 people to get the award; panel holds four rounds of talks

BANGALORE: Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa on Tuesday said the number of persons who will be given Rajyotsava Award for 2008 for their contribution to the development of Kannada and the cause of the State and the welfare of Kannadigas will be restricted to 80.

The Chief Minister told presspersons here on Tuesday that the names of the award-winners would be announced on October 31. He said the panel of experts, which was entrusted with the responsibility of selecting the names of dignitaries for the awards, had completed its task.

Last year, the State Government had pegged the number of award-winners at 51.

He said that all those, who had been selected by the panel, were popular figures in society and the people would be happy with its decision. The panel had four rounds of discussions on identifying the names out of the 3,000 applications seeking the award.

Advani’s book

Mr. Yeddyurappa said that the autobiography of L.K. Advani, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader, had been published in Kannada too. The book would be released at a grand function organised at Banquet Hall of Vidhana Soudha on November 4.

He said a large contingent of legislators from the BJP, the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) and Kannada writers would be taken in a delegation to New Delhi by a special plane to demand Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to accord classical language status to Kannada. He said the Prime Minister’s office had confirmed the appointment to the delegation. It would leave the city on the night of November 4.

Mr. Yeddyurappa said the people of the State would be happy and celebrate its decision on November 1, if the Centre were to accord classical language status to Kannada on that day.

The delegation, he said, would request the Prime Minister to amend Article 371 of the Constitution to include the backward districts of north Karnataka for special status. He said that he would telephonically request all Opposition leaders to join the delegation in the interest of Kannada and Kannadigas and cooperate with the Government.

About accusations of indulging in politicking by not calling an all-party meeting before announcing his New Delhi visit, Mr. Yeddyurappa reminded that he was not leading only the BJP legislators nor meeting the Prime Minister individually. How could his Government’s decision be termed political, he countered.

About the transfer of officials, which had extended beyond the normal transfer season, the Chief Minister admitted that there should be a policy for it.