Karnataka - Bangalore   

Horatti calls for encouragement to writers

Staff Reporter

`There are people who have produced great works, but are not in limelight'

SHARING A THOUGHT: Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Basavaraj S Horatti (right) and Chandrashekhar Kambara, writer, at the World Book Day function in Bangalore on Sunday. — Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

Bangalore: Good writers and authors should be identified and honoured, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Basavaraj Horatti said here on Sunday.

He was speaking after inaugurating the World Book Day function organised jointly by the Department of Public Libraries and Bangalore University.

He called upon the officials of the department to identify good writers and authors. "There are several authors who have produced great works, but are not in the limelight. Such writers should be identified and encouraged," he said.

The Minister said that to inculcate the reading habit among people, the department had launched several programmes. Mr. Horatti said that libraries would be set up in 2,463 gram panchayats in the State, for which Rs. 6 crore had been earmarked. Twenty-five community libraries for children would also be set up to inculcate the reading habit. On the occasion of Suvarna Karnataka celebrations, Kannada books would be bought through the single-window system and distributed to the public libraries across the State. He said that Rs. 5 crore had been earmarked for this scheme. The other schemes that have been chalked out by the department for 2006-07 include the translation of good Kannada books into Braille. Chandrashekhara Kambara, member of the Legislative Council and writer, said that over 3,000 Kannada books were published annually in the State.

He also urged the Government to grant Rs. 10 crores that could be used to help needy authors.

He lamented that though the State Government had promised to give Kannada a prominent place, almost all government departments continued to use English.

M.K. Bhandi, president of the Karnataka State University Librarians' Association, submitted a memorandum to the Minister. He urged the Minister to extend all the facilities enjoyed by lecturers to the university librarians.

The Minister released two books — "Pustakodhyama - ondu adhyayana" and "Granthalaya" — and "Granthasoochi" CD on the occasion. He felicitated Minister for Higher Education D.H. Shankaramurthy and the author of "Pustakodhyama" Madhava Ratti.

Kamala Hampana, writer; K.V. Kodandaramaiah, director of the Directorate of Collegiate Education; B.G. Sudha, in-charge Vice-Chancellor of Bangalore University; P.Y. Rajendra Kumar, Director of Department of Public Libraries; and P.V. Konnur, Bangalore University librarian, were present.

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