Mangaluru : The State government has announced a Rs. 50 lakh grant to the three-day Vishwa Tuluvere Parba (global Tulu festival) scheduled to be held here from December 12, according to B. Ramanatha Rai, Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada.

Chairing a preparatory meeting for the festival here on Tuesday Nov 25, Rai, Minister for Forests, Environment and Ecology, said that the Chief Minister was likely to attend the valedictory of the festival on December 14. The festival would be organised jointly by government and private participation.

A member of the organising committee told the meeting that the festival would cost Rs. 2.5 crore. The committee has printed coupons of Rs. 100 for distribution to raise funds. Each Tulu lover could purchase a coupon each for the success of the festival, he said.

The Minister instructed Health Officer of Mangalore City Corporation Manjaiah Shetty to take care of sanitation works for the festival and instructed other government department officials to extend all cooperation for the success of the festival.

A.B. Ibrahim, Deputy Commissioner, said that the Department of Information and Public Relations could use its 10 hoardings in the city to publicity the coming festival. He instructed a muzrai official to ensure that temples in the district gave rice required for mass feeding. According to the committee, 100 quintals of rice would be required.

A committee member said that a photography competition focusing on culture, language and the landscape of Tulu Nadu would be organised as part of the festival. The selected photographs would be later displayed at the Tulu Bhavan of Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy coming up at Urwa Stores.

The committee sought medical assistance and help from police to manage the festival.

Ivan D’Souza, MLC, Thulasi Maddineni, Chief Executive Officer of Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat and M. Janaki Brahmavar, president, Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy, were present.