Mangaluru : Veerendra Heggade, the Dharmadhikari of Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala, said he will not rest and will continue to take up more development works that would benefit larger sections of society.

Acknowledging the felicitation on being conferred the Padma Vibhushan at Alva’s Palace Grounds in Moodbidri on Sunday, Mr. Heggade said that the works for which the government had conferred the award on him had not been done by him.

“I could do it only because of the power of the seat I am sitting. The award is for the seat and the presiding deity,” Mr. Heggade said, and added that the award recognised the works done by his 22 predecessors.

Mr. Heggade said that he was being asked to take up works for the welfare of the disabled and senior citizens. “I am happy people want to me to get involved in various works. Whatever I think helps people, I will certainly take it up,” he said.

He received award on behalf of hundreds of personnel who worked tirelessly in the rural development programmes, he said.

The former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy asked Mr. Heggade to take lead in resolving the problem of drinking water in the parched regions of Kolar, Chikkaballapura and Bengaluru without affecting the interests of people from Dakshina Kannada who rely on the Netravathi. The former Union Minister B. Janardhana Poojary on the other hand asked Mr. Heggade to lead the agitation against diversion of the river.

District in-charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai said Mr. Heggade had made Dharmasthala a seat of solidarity and peace. Udupi MP Shobha Karandlaje said Mr. Heggade’s initiatives such as SIRI and RUDSET had empowered a large number of people from rural areas.

Pejawar Mutt Seer Vishveshwara Theertha Swami, Charukeerti Bhattaraka Panditacharyavarya Swami from Jain Math, Former Chief Minister and MP Veerappa Moily, Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, Nitte University Chancellor Vinay Hegde, South Canara District Central Cooperative Bank Chairman M.N. Rajendra Kumar also spoke.

Health Minister U.T. Khader, Urban Development Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake, Minister of State for Youth Services and Sport K. Abhayachandra Jain, Cine Actors Jayamala and Vijay Raghavendra and former Minister Rani Satish, Chairman of Alvas Education Foundation Mohan Alva also participated in the function.