Mangaluru : Minister of State for Kannada and Culture Umashree Inaugurated the two-day literary and cultural convention by 16 State government academies and authorities, at Dr. Shivaram Karanth Pilikula Nisargadhama here on Saturday, July 25.

Inaugurating Sangama Sambrama, Ms. Umashree said that the State’s cultural policy will be placed before the Cabinet after clarifying financial implications. The policy, which gives a broad framework of activities that the department has to take up, was ready. “There are some queries regarding financial implications. We are clarifying it” she said.

She said artistes taking part in programmes of the department were now receiving honorarium in their bank accounts. She said three days ago orders were issued to Assistant Directors at the districts to release grants to bank accounts of various cultural organisations. “We are delegating the work and preventing these organisations from coming all the way to Bengaluru for grants,” she said.

She said they had introduced online booking for shows at the Ravindra Kalashetra. If anybody who has booked the show does not turn up, the amount deposited by he or she would be credited back to his or her bank account. “We are working on having uniform rates for use of district auditoriums and make it accessible to various theatre and cultural troupes,” she said.

Lauding the initiative of the 16 academies and authorities coming together to hold a cultural event, Ms. Umashree asked the academies to have different activities and avoid overlapping of programmes.

A colorful procession was held prior to the Sangama Sambhrama 2015. The procession had ’Siddavesha,’ tiger dance, ’Naveelu kunitha,’ ’Kangeelu kunitha,’ Yakshagana, ’Holi nritya,’ Koraga dance, ’Keelu kudure,’ ’Daff,’ ’Kolya Kalasa,’ kolata, ’chende, band, Kodava valaga. A tableaux on atrocities on women by Karanataka Tulu Sahitya Academy was an added attraction.

The art exhibition by Lalithakala Academy and books exhibition were also inaugurated.

Santha Kavi Kanakadasa Study and Research Centre Coordinator K T Chikkanna , Kannada and Culture department Director K A Dayanand, Pilikula Nisargadhama Executive Director Prabhakar Sharma, MLA J R Lobo and others were present.