Bengaluru, Oct 30 The Karnataka Ratna awards will be presented to late Kannada film icon Dr Vishnuvardhan and veteran actress B Sarojadevi on November 19, Kannada and Culture Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi said on Friday.
The minister said efforts were being made to invite superstar Rajinikanth and actresses Lakshmi and Suhasini to the ceremony.
The government had initially planned to present the awards on November 14, but Chief Minister D K Shivakumar finalised November 19 as the date, Tangadagi told reporters here.
“The Karnataka Ratna awards will be presented to Dr Vishnuvardhan and B Sarojadevi on November 19. The chief minister himself will present the awards at a grand function,” Tangadagi said.
He said efforts were also being made to invite Rajinikanth from Tamil Nadu.
“He (Rajinikanth) is a Kannadiga who has become the number one actor in Tamil cinema. Since he belongs to Karnataka, I have decided to make efforts to bring him here,” he said.
Efforts were also being made to invite actresses Lakshmi and Suhasini, who have a connection with the Kannada film industry, to the event.
The minister said 71 personalities would be honoured with the Rajyotsava awards on November 1, marking 71 years of the formation of Karnataka.
Each awardee would receive Rs 5 lakh in cash and a 25-gram gold medal, he said.
The minister explained that the selection had been made to ensure representation to women, different districts and various sections of society. Twelve women figure among this year’s awardees.
The selection process involved five subcommittees and a high-level committee, he said, adding that the government had not invited applications for the awards in the last two years and had instead identified deserving personalities directly and considered recommendations.
Among those selected for the Rajyotsava awards are former minister Kagodu Thimmappa, Teresa Bhattacharya, Umapathi, Vishwanath Suvarna, Prasad Bidappa, Babuji Venkataramana, Ashok and Subbaiah.
The minister said arrangements were being made for the award ceremony on November 1 and that the government would ensure the event was conducted in a dignified manner.
(PTI News)
