HD Deve Gowda to skip Valmiki Jayanti award function

Bengaluru, Oct 24: Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda to give a miss to Valmiki Jayanti award function on Wednesday as he his leaving for London to attend a pre-scheduled event.

However, he will garland the statue of Maharshi Valmiki at Legislators' Building at 9 AM today.

The HD Kumaraswamy government decided to confer the Maharshi Valmiki award for the year 2018-19 on JD(S) national president and former prime minister HD Devegowda. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh and a citation.

The JDS National President was selected by the government-appointed Valmiki Award Committee chaired by Justice H N Nagmohan Das, for his contribution to the welfare of SC/ST communities.

The Valmiki Jayanti celebration is organized by the Social Welfare Department at the Banquet Hall of Vidhana Soudha. Social Welfare Minister Priyank Kharge on Tuesday visited the former prime minister at his Padmanabhanagar residence and personally invited him to the award ceremony.