Goa Konkani Akademi to felicitate Konkani writers

Goa Konkani Akademi to felicitate Konkani writers
NT Staff Reporter


Panaji, Jan 21, 2008

The Goa Konkani Akademi today announced a scheme for awarding cash prizes to the Konkani writers and poets, besides lifetime achievement awards for those who had contributed substantially towards promotion and preservation of the Konkani language in different capacities, in both Devnagari and Roman scripts.

The president of the Goa Konkani Akademi, Mr Pundalik Naik, addressing a press conference, this morning said that the scheme known as Konkani Sahitya/ Seva Puraskar scheme will follow the pattern of awarding the prizes on the similar lines as done by Sahitya Akademi.

According to the scheme, five awards of Rs 10,000 each will be awarded annually in five categories namely poetry, short-story, play, essays/ travelogue and research/ science/ criticism, and one of Rs 5,000 in the category of children’s literature. Besides the cash amount, a memento and a certificate will also be presented to the winners.

The books published during the current year as well as past two years will be eligible for the awards presented during the present year. For the awards to be given for the year 2007-2008, the books eligible should be published between - January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2007.

The scheme also maintains that the recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award as well as the members of the board of the GKA will not be eligible for the awards in these categories. Furthermore, entries may be sent for more than one category but only one book will be considered at a time for the award.

The Sahitya Pradnya Puraskar, again carrying an award of Rs 25,000, a certificate, a memento and shawl will have the same age limit and given to those who have contributed in the field of Konkani language research, grammar, dictionary, columns, and tiatrs.

The Yuva Chaitanea Puraskar - two awards - each including cash prize of Rs 15,000, a memento and a certificate will be given to youth of age up to 40 years, who have worked either personally or with the help of institution in the field of Konkani language, literature, music, play, education, research, culture and also shown their co-operation spirit in Konkani language/ literary movement.

The Shenoi Goembab Konkani Bhasha Seva Puraskar, a lifetime achievement award limited to the Goa state and having prize money of Rs 25,000, a certificate, a memento and shawl will be awarded to those who have completed 50 years of age and worked in the field of Konkani language as an activist or a leader.

The other two lifetime achievement awards - Madhav Manjunath Shanbhag Konkani Bhasha Seva Puraskar and Konkani Seva Sanstha Puraskar - each including a cash prize of Rs 25,000, a certificate, a memento and shawl will be open for Goa as well as other states.

Those who have completed 50 years and have worked as an activist, leader, organiser are eligible for the Madhav Manjunath Shanbhag Konkani Bhasha Seva Puraskar, while the Konkani Seva Sanstha Puraskar is for the registered institutions which have contributed service in the field of Konkani language for at least 10 years.

Mr Naik informed that the annual budget for the prizes is Rs 2 lakh, besides another Rs 1 lakh earmarked for organisation of award functions, panel of judges, etc.

He also announced that prizes would be constituted for Konkani media - print and electronic - including compere, radio jockeys, reporters, etc, from next year.
(The Navhind Times)