Odisha Govt Announces Manoj Das International Literary Award In Memory Of The Great Writer

Bhubaneswar: Odisha government on Tuesday announced an international literary award in the memory of iconic litterateur from Odisha, Manoj Das who passed away at the age of 87 a few days ago.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik made the announcement today as a mark of honour to the late Padma Bhushan awardee often referred to as the doyen of literary field in modern Odisha.

The international literary award which will be presented annually will be bestowed on writers for excellent contribution in the field of English literature.

A cash prize of Rs 10 lakh will be felicitated to the winner of the award every year.

This apart, the Chief Minister also announced another award – Manoj Kishore Sahitya Pratibha Award – named after the famed writer to recognize budding writers in high school standards excelling in writing in both English and Odia language.

Two separate prizes will be distributed under this award, one in English and another in Odia language.

Selected high school students will be felicitated with a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh each under both the categories.

Odisha government has also announced to recognize the ancestral home of the late poet at Sankhari, Balasore as Manmath-Manoj Memorial where the pioneering works of literature by Manoj Das and his elder brother Manmath Das will be kept in a library.