Yeddy Annouces Rs 25 Cr 'Thayi Bhuvaneshwari' Grand Idol in Bangalore

Bangalore,Feb4 (PTI) : Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today announced a special fund to encourage litterateurs and setting up of a Rs 25 crore idol with potential to become a Bangalore landmark. 

Yeddyurappa said he would set aside Rs ten crore in the annual budget, to be unveiled this month, for the benefit of litterateurs in financial need and also encourage authors to publish their first book.

The scheme would be implemented through the Kannada Sahitya Parishath, he said, addressing the inaugural function of the 77th "Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana" (All India Kannada Literary conference).

The Chief Minister also said a mega idol of "Thayi Bhuvaneshwari", the native goddess of Karnataka, would be established here at a cost of Rs 25 crore and work on it would begin in April.

This idol would be built on a grand scale similar to "Statue of Liberty" in New York and Budhha statue in Lumbini park in Hyderabad, he said, adding, it would emerge as a must-see attraction for those visiting Bangalore.

President of the Sammelana, G Venkatasubbaiah, made an appeal to preserve and promote Kannada language, before an enthusiastic throng of hundreds of delegates at National College grouds, where the three-day meet commenced.

Venkatasubbaiah, a well-known Kannada lexicographer, appealed to the State Government to make Kannada a compulsory first language in schools from first to tenth standard.

He advocated using Kannada in all applications in Government offices, and their rejection if given in other languages. "Officials who don't follow this must be punished".

Kannadigas have dwindled to 30 per cent in Bangalore population, Venkatasubbaiah said and urged industry houses employing non-Kannadigas here to promote the local language among the staff.

He appealed to the Government to extend the "Yashaswini" insurance scheme, meant for people below the poverty line, to litterateurs as well.

Outgoing President of the Sammelana, Geeta Nagabhushana, stressed the need for making more women to head such a conference, noting that only four women had become President in the history of the event.

She also said rural folk and farmers, who play a key role in usage and promotion of Kannada, are migrating because of poor economic conditions, putting the language to jeopardy.

To counter this, there is a need to generate large-scale employment in rural areas,she said.The venue of the meet, an annual get-together of litterateurs, poets and lovers of the language, wore a festive look. It is being held here after a gap of 40 years.