Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddharamaiah has instructed the Officers to abide by the norms while selecting eligible persons for Rajyotsava Award, without ignoring regional justice and representation to all caste, religion and gender.

The CM came out with the instructions while chairing a high-level meeting of Rajyotsava Award Selection Committee here on Thursday.

The CM informed that “The award should be given to a total of 68 persons this year, besides reserving 10 for the organisations and associations in the wake of Karnataka Sambhrama (marking the completion of 50 years for renaming the State as Karnataka).”

The CM also reiterated that to restrain the number of applicants for the award, it had been decided during the previous term of the Congress Government to select the number of awardees equalling  the year of completion of unification of Karnataka.

Earlier, the Committee members opined that a total of 10 awards should be bestowed on organisations and associations which have worked for the cause of Kannada, on account of the completion of 50 years for renaming the State as Karnataka.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar,  Kannada and Culture Minister Shivaraj S. Tangadagi, Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwar, Social Welfare Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa, Political Secretaries to the CM K. Govindaraj and Naseer Ahmed,  Secretary of Kannada and Culture Department N. Manjula, Director Dr. Dharanidevi Malagatti and others were present at the meeting.