Mangaluru : The Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy will soon hold a meeting with Tulu cinema producers, directors and others in Tulu cinema industry in connection with urging the government to float a Tulu Film Chamber of Commerce.

To a question at a press conference here on Saturday, president of the academy M. Janaki Brahmavar said there was a demand for a chamber of commerce for the flourishing Tulu film industry.

She said that a Mangalore University authority had promised that the varsity would introduce certificate, diploma and postgraduate diploma courses in Tulu from the academic year 2015-16 under distance education mode.

She said that once the university offered these courses it would create human resource (teachers) to teach Tulu in schools which has been introduced as the third optional language.

She said that seven high schools in Puttur taluk have shown interest to teach Tulu as the third optional language from the current academic year.

The schools together have demanded 115 text books of Class 8, 76 text books of Class 9 and 44 text books of Class 10.

Ms. Brahmavar said that all the 18 students who appeared for Tulu third optional language examination in SSLC exam this year had passed.

She said that the academy was planning to shift its office from Mangaluru City Corporation building at Lalbagh to the Tulu Bhawan which was being constructed at Urwa Stores next month or in August.

Though the building was being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs. 4.8 crores granted from the State government, the interiors would have to be done by the academy. According to an estimate, it would cost Rs. 25 lakh.

The academy was looking for the funds from the government.

She said that 50 persons participated in Tulu script teaching programme conducted by the academy in Mangaluru, Bantwal and Karkala during 2014-15.

Ms. Brahmavar said that the academy was making documentaries on 15 Tulu personalities through outsourcing. Each of them was of 25 minutes duration.

It published 19 works during 2014-15, she added.