Mysuru: A preliminary meeting on the 83rd Akhila Bharath Kannada Sahitya Sammelana, scheduled to take place in Mysuru, was held at the Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) office here this morning.

Presiding over the meeting, DC D. Randeep said this was the first preliminary meeting that is being held after the announcement was made that Mysuru would host the literary meet.

Pointing out that District in-charge Minister Dr.H.C. Mahadevappa, who was supposed to chair the meeting, could not attend as he was hospitalised, Randeep said the next meeting will be convened soon where the District Minister would announce the date and venue of the meet in the city.

Declaring that the State Government has announced Rs. 5 crore for the literary meet, which is Rs. 1 crore more than that released for last year’s meet at Raichur, the DC said an Organising Committee for the meet will be constituted shortly and added that the meet is likely to take place either in the last week of June or first week of July.

The DC further said that the meet will provide a boost for the World Kannada Meet scheduled to take place at Davanagere in November this year.

MLA M.K. Somashekar, who also addressed the meet, said the city is hosting the Kannada Sahitya Sammelana after a gap of 27 years. The Chief Minister has instructed to host the meet well ahead of Dasara, he said and added the list of guests for the literacy meet will be shortlisted in the next preliminary meeting.

Kannada and Culture Department Assistant Director C. Channappa, District  Kannada Sahitya Parishat President Dr. Y.D. Rajanna, former Presidents Maddikere Gopal and M. Chandrashekar, senior theatrist Rajashekar Kadamba, District Kannada Sahitya Parishat office-bearers Nagaraj and K.S. Shivaram were among those who attended the meeting.