Pokharel and Kurup to receive Mahananda Awards

By Our Correspondent,Birtamod, May. 3: Komal Prasad Pokharel from Jhapa and  Sundar Kurup from Ilam will be decorated with Mahananda Awards this year. The Awards were established in memory of linguist Mahananda Sapkota.

The prize will be awarded at a programme to be held at Dewanchhap in Rong Rural Municipality of Ilam on May 13. 

The Mahananda Award Committee informed in a press conference held in Birtamod on Tuesday that Bimal Vaidya of Ilam and Prem Ojha of Phidim, Panchthar, will be awarded 'Bhawani Ghimire-Rang Punya Memorial Literary Service Award' and 'Hira Akash-Poorna Tung Memorial Literary Service Award' respectively. Each award carries a purse of Rs. 15,000. 

Keshav Acharya, chairman of the Mahananda Award Committee, said that 'Bhawani Ghimire-Rang Punya Memorial Literary Service Award' is going to be presented for the second time and 'Hira Akash-Poorna Tung Memorial Literary Service Award' is going to be awarded for the first time.

Acharya informed that they selected Dewanchhap of Ilam to organise programme to gather the participation of many people. 

Similarly, Chandra Bhandari, General Secretary of Mahananda Award Committee, informed that there would be wide participation in the award distribution programme.

 Bhandari said that the amount of the award, which was established from Rs. 1,000, has now increased to  Rs. 15,000.

The Mahananda Award Committee has been rewarding the creators of four districts of the previous Mechi zone. 

Rong Rural Municipality has announced a holiday on the occasion of Mahananda Sapkota's Day, and it will distribute scholarships to students.

Songs will be performed in the prize distribution ceremony, said the organisers.