Three-day Devaraj Urs Utsav from August 20 in all Karnataka districts

MANGALURU: Minister for Social Welfare and Backward Classes Kota Srinivas Poojary on Tuesday said that from this year, the State Government will give an award in the name of former chief minister D Devaraj Urs on his birth anniversary in all 31 districts.

Addressing the media here, the minister said hitherto the State Government was celebrating Urs’ birth anniversary as Backward Classes Day at the Banquet Hall in Vidhana Soudha. “From this year, there will be three-day celebrations in all districts. On the occasion, D Devaraj Urs district level award will be presented to a person who has worked for the welfare of backward classes by adopting his ideals. A three-member selection committee has been formed in all districts to choose the awardee,” he said.  The award carries a cash prize of Rs 50,000.

He said the three-day event will include an expo and sale of products manufactured by weavers, potters and other backward classes involving traditional occupations and competitions like speech, essay and drawings on Devaraj Urs. Poojary maintained that the Devaraj Urs Utsav has not been organised with an eye on Assembly elections.

The minister said various programmes and schemes of Backward Classes and Social Welfare Department, which were discontinued due to lack of funds owing to Covid-19 in the last two years, have resumed this year. In the wake of a huge demand for hostels, 50 Kanakadasa hostels, 100 Dr BR Ambedkar hostels and 5 Deen Dayal hostels will come up in Karnataka within two years, he added.