Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced a substantial hike in the reward money given for the National Tansen and Kalidas Awards from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh from next year.
The state public relations department official said Chouhan announced the hike while addressing the 97th Tansen Samaroh in Gwalior on Sunday night in the presence of Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar and civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.
On the occasion, noted sitar maestro Pandit Kartik Kumar (Mumbai) and renowned ghatam (percussionist) player and Padmabhushan Pandit Vikku Vinayakram were given National Kalidas award for 2013 and 2014 respectively, he said.
MP culture minister Usha Thakur also presented Rs 2 lakh cash, a citation and a shawl to the two eminent artistes as part of the award.
He directed the culture minister to prepare a plan along with the date to organise the festival dedicated to Baiju Bawra, a legendary 16th century vocalist in the court of Gwalior king Raja Mansingh.
(With PTI Inputs)
