When will awardees get Sahitya Academi Award money? No money for Ezhuthachan Puraskaram!

THRISSUR: The Department of Culture, which is struggling with no money to pay the Kerala Sahitya Akademi's award money, is worried about how to give the Ezhuthachan Puraskaram worth rupees five lakh. NS Madhavan is this year's winner of the Kerala state government's Ezhuthachan Puraskaram.

It was announced that the amount for various awards distributed by the Sahitya Akademi would be released within a week. The delay is due to non-receipt of funds from the government. Those in the field of culture have alleged that the main reason for the crisis is the mismanagement of the Culture Department and the Sahitya Akademi. The Department of Culture should find Rs 10.5 lakh to give Ezhuthachan Puraskaram money and the award amount in various fields such as sahitya akademi's distinguished membership, comprehensive contribution, poetry, novel, short story and drama. The amount for Ezhuthachan Puraskaram is paid directly by the Department of Culture. Sahitya Akademi secretary Prof CP Aboobacker said the award money will be given soon.

Mismanagement and delay

Of the Rs 3.2 crore plan fund provided by the government in five instalments in a year, only one instalment (Rs 64 lakh) has been received. Sahitya Akademi is supposed to give the prize money from this fund. Of the Rs 1.27 crore non-plan funds that are supposed to be given, only Rs 53.51 lakh has been received. Expenses, including salaries, for about 50 employees are met from this. Sahitya Akademi's book 'History of Malayalam Literature' is lying unsold as there are mistakes in it. There was a loss of Rs 40 lakh in this regard. This amount was not charged from those responsible. Sahitya Akademi retired publication officer CK Anandan Pillai told Kerala Kaumudi that despite spending Rs 1.5 lakh, the previous governing body did not publish a 'granthasuchi' (catalogue) on Malayalam texts as a book.