Mysore/Mysuru: Maintaining that folk art is a good medium for reaching out Government schemes, initiatives, plans and programmes to the doorsteps of people, Mysuru Zilla Panchayat (ZP) Deputy Secretary Prem Kumar lauded the authorities for engaging folk artistes in awareness and sensitisation campaigns of Government schemes.

He was speaking after inaugurating a three-day Mysuru Divisional Workshop for folk teams jointly organised by the District Administration, ZP and the Health and Family Welfare Department at Naganahalli Organic Farming Training Centre in the taluk on Thursday.

Noting that lack of awareness was the main bottleneck for taking Govt. schemes to the doorsteps of beneficiaries, Prem Kumar said that the engagement of folk artistes to overcome this shortcoming is a good development.

Pointing out that folk art has the capacity to educate the masses on Government schemes in simpler terms, he said that human development index depended on key factors such as food, housing, education and health and as such, every one should strive for further growth of these sectors.

DHO Joint Director Dr. K.H. Prasad said that the workshop has been organised with the theme ‘Yellarigoo Arogya – Yelledeyoo Arogya,’ which means ‘Health for all and health everywhere.’ He highlighted the objectives of the workshop. 

DHO Dr. T. Amarnath said, it is important to hold such workshops to create widespread awareness at a time when COVID-19 continues to haunt the public.

A total of 48 folk artistes from Mysuru, Hassan, Mandya, Chamarajanagar, Kodagu, Chikkamagalur, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts participated in the three-day workshop.

District Agriculture Training Centre Director G.S. Yogesh, Reproductive & Child Health Officer (RCHO) L. Ravi, District Family Welfare Officer Dr. P. Ravi, SMO Dr. Sudhir Nayak, District Health Education Officer Jnanesheshwar, Deputy District Health Education Officers M. Munindramma and Padmavathi (Mysuru), Jyothi (Mangaluru), Vijaya Bai (Udupi), Lalitha (Chikmagalur) and Palaksha (Kodagu), Regional Health Education Officers Bharatswamy (Chamarajanagar district) and Mahadevu (Mysuru taluk), Resource persons Janardhan and D. Yogananda and others were present during the inaugural.