Madhya Pradesh government has announced National Mahatma Gandhi Samman and National Kabeer Samman for the year 2008-09. National Mahatma Gandhi Samman will be bestowed on Dudhatoli Public Development Institute in Garhwal district of Uttrakhand and Rashtriya Kabeer Samman on famous poet Shri Mangesh Padgaonkar of Mumbai.
Culture Minister Shri Laxmikant Sharma has informed that Dudhatoli Public Development Institute has been putting in valuable contribution to various social activities. The award given to this institution will include Rs. ten lakh and an honour plaque.Similarly, poet Shri Mangesh Padgaonkar, who has been selected for National Kabeer Samman, has been famous as deep thinker in the contemporary literary scenario and has won many awards. As an honour, Rs. three lakh and a plaque will be given away to Shri Mangesh Padgaonkar.