BELGAUM: The alleged "step-motherly" attitude of the State Government and lack of seriousness of the district administration towards the "Kittur Utsav" have once again come to light as the Government is yet to release funds for the two-day event.

The festivities are to begin from Sunday. However, the request of the district administration for Rs.10 lakhs is yet to be reciprocated.

Official sources told The Hindu that the Government might consider granting only Rs.5 lakhs as against the request for Rs.10 lakhs. Last year the Government provided Rs.10 lakhs, said the sources.

The district administration is gearing up for the cultural events and Governor T.N. Chaturvedi will be chief guest for the inaugural function of the event.

Sources said the festivities will take off at 8 a.m. at the samadhi of Kittur Rani Channamma in Bailhongal. From there "Channamma Jyoti" will be taken out in an ornamented "ratha", which will be received by district in-charge Minister Prakash B. Hukkeri and Minister for Tourism D.T. Jayakumar at Kittur at 10 a.m. The "janapada kalavahini", which will be organised to showcase the various cultural facets of the State and region will be inaugurated by Lok Sabha member Anantkumar Hegde and an exhibition will be inaugurated by Lok Sabha member Suresh C. Angadi.

The two-day cultural festivities will be inaugurated at the sprawling Kittur fort by Mr. Hukkeri in the presence of Shri Madiwal Swamiji of Kittur Kalmath. Deputy Chairman in the State Legislative Council Sachidanand Khot and Deputy Commissioner Shalini Rajneesh are expected to be present for the function.

The cultural events slated for the first day will witness performances by artists including Hindustani vocalist Jayashree Patnekar, Giriyappa Erkinkoppa (Mangalvadya), Namrata Ravut and party (Bhavgeet), Manjula Joshi (Sugam Sangeet) Ravindra Varma (Bharatnatya), Y.K. Muddukrishna, Yeshwant Halbandi and Malti Sharma, Bhimsi Bhajantri and Veeresh Kittur (Sugam Sangeet), Ramachandra Kamble (Puja Kunita) and Mrityunjay Hiremath (Bhavageet).

In addition to these, there will be special "tabla jugalbandi" concert by the well-known tabla artiste Raghunath Nakod and his son Ravikiran Nakod.

There will be cycle race the following morning at 7 a.m. for men and women. A seminar on the contribution of Kittur Samsthana in the freedom struggle will be held at 10.30 a.m. It will be inaugurated by Principal of Lingraj College (Belgaum) Baswaraj Jagjampi.

The valedictory function will be held at 4 p.m. which will be followed by cultural programmes featuring well known artistes such as Ravindra Sorgavi, S. Srilaxmi (Bharatnatya), Mardur Sisters (Vachan gayan) Siddappa Govankoppa(Bhajan), Kumudinirav Ujwala Nrityashala students (dance feature), Kallappa Goshyanatti(Gigipada), Seeta Chaprad & party (dance feature), Somnath Mardur Mardimath(Sugam sangeet), Adiveppa Halki (Janapada songs), Santosh Kulkarni (Tabla Solo), Shantappa Badarwadi and party (traditional songs) G.K. Kadesh (Shahnai), Kallappa Halgekar(Instrumental), Somayya Hiremath(Sugam sangeet), Bhimappa Huddar(Radha naat) andBaslingayya Hiremath and party(Srikrishna Parijata).

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