Chandigarh July 23:The Punjab Government today announced the Punjabi Sahit Shiromani Awards for the years 2007 and 2008 and has selected noted novelist Mr. Jaswant Singh Kanwal and writer Dr. Dalip Kaur Tiwana for this award. Besides this 26 literary personalities from different fields have also been selected for various 13 Shiromani Awards.
Presiding over a meeting of State Advisory Board Languages department Punjab, Dr. Upinderjit Kaur Education and Languages Minister Punjab said that 28 personalities have been selected unanimously by the advisory board for 14 different Shiromani awards. She said that the name of Punjabi Sahit Shiromani Award has been rechristened as Punjabi Sahit Ratan to which the board members endorsed in unanimity.
During the meeting held here Mr. Jaswant Singh and Dr. Dalip Kaur Tiwana have been selected for Punjabi Sahit Shiromani Award, Mr. Kartar Singh Suri and Mr. Pargat Singh Sidhu for Shiromani Punjabi Sahitkar Award, Dr. Chander Trikha and Mrs. Virender Sandhu for Shiromani Hindi Sahitkar Award, Mr. Prem Kumar and Dr. Nashir Naqvi for Shiromani Urdu Sahitkar Award, Dr. Brij Bihari Choube and Dr. Ravinder Kaur for Shiromani Sanskrit Sahitkar Award.
Dr. Harinder Singh Mehboob and Mrs. Sukhwinder Amrit were selected Shiromani Punjabi Kavi (poet) Award, Mr. Karnail Singh Thind and Dr. Jaswinder Singh for Shiromani Punjabi Gyan Sahitkar/Alochik Award, Mr. Parminder Sodhi (Japan) and Janab Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan) for Shiromani Punjabi Sahitkar (overseas) Award, Mr. Chotu Ram Moudgil and Mr. S Saki for Shiromani Punjabi Sahitkar Award (out of Punjab), Mr. Jasbir Singh Jass and Dr. Sukhwant Kaur Mann for Shiromani Punjabi Bal Sahitkar Lekhak (writer) Award, Mr. G.S. Sidhu Damdami (Punjabi Tribune) and Mr. Paramjit Singh Sasan (Ajit) for Shiromani Punjabi Patarkar Award, Bhai Banta Singh Ragi and Bhai Gursharn Singh Ragi for Shiromani Ragi/Dhadi/Kavishar Award, Mrs. Gurmeet Bawa and Mr. G.S.Sachdev (flute) for Shiromani Punjabi Singer/Musician Award, Mr. Amrik Gill and Mr. Jatinder Brar has been selected for Shiromani Punjabi TV/Radio/Theater/Natak/Actor/Producer/Writer Award.
The Minister said that the awardees of Shiromani Puraskars would be honoured on August 8, 2008 in a function to be held at Chandigarh and Chief Minister Punjab Mr. Parkash Singh Badal would present these awards to the selected personalities. She added that the prize money for the Punjabi Sahit Shiromani Award has been doubled from Rs. 2.5 lac to Rs. 5 lac and for other Shiromani awards it has been increased from Rs. 1 lac to 2.5 lac.
Among others Mr.Jaspal Singh Secretary Higher Education and Languages, Mrs. Balbir Kaur Director Languages Department Punjab, Dr. Surjit Patar, Bhai Baldeep Singh, Gulzar Singh Sandhu, Dr. Deepak Manmohan Singh, Dr. Satinder Noor, Sardar Panchi, Mr. Satnam Manak(Ajit), Mr. Sidhu Damdami (Punjabi Tribune), Mr. N.S. Parwana, Dr. Satinder Singh and Bibi Kiranjot Kaur were also present in the meeting.