Government restores ‘Shikhar Samman’ award

Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 16

The state government today decided to restore ‘Shikhar Samman’ award. The award was presented for promotion of art, culture and language and was withdrawn in 2002 during the previous government’s tenure.

The ‘Shikhar Samman’ was not only given to the Himachali writers in the field of art and culture but also to littérateurs from the country who worked for promotion of Himachali language, traditions and culture.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has directed that the backlog of Academy Sahitya Awards from 2004 to 2006 and from 2007 to 2012 should be cleared in one go by June, 2015. He has also asked the authorities concerned to revise the procedure for giving the awards from the year 2012-13 onwards.

While presiding over a meeting of executive council of Himachal Pradesh Language, Art & Culture Academy, he said all the awards from year 2004-06 for which the writers have already been identified and that from 2007 to 2012 be given in one go after inviting and screening the nominations.

As many books have been written on temples and God and Goddesses of Himachal, efforts should also be made to write books on contemporary subjects, said the CM.

“Though research in historical and cultural field is welcome, magazines and books should also incorporate stories of human interest, besides short stories and poetry,” he stressed.

The Chief Minister also suggested that suitable land for housing the academy should be found as present the academy was running from a private accommodation. He also emphasized that the academy should meet at least four times in a year.

He said the books, which were of interest to children, should be purchased and it was not necessary that every book written may find place on the shelves of the school library.

He said the books should contain short stories and poems in Pahari language. The books should cater to interests of the people and should not merely contain research articles.

Regarding the demand for providing free travel facility to the awardees in the field of literature and writings, the Chief Minister said that the matter could be discussed with the HRTC.