KANNUR: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the 57th Kerala State School Youth Festival at Nila, the main venue of the fest, on the Police Ground, here, on January 16. “Singer K S Chithra will be the chief guest at the function to be presided over by Education Minister C Raveendranath,” Ports Minister and festival organising committee chairman Kadannappally Ramachandran said.
Prior to the inaugural function, Director of Public Instruction K V Mohan Kumar will hoist the festival flag on Monday morning. A mega procession will be taken out from St Michael’s Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School to police ground in the evening. The festival will come to a close on January 22. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala will take part in the event.
“Over 12,000 students will contest in 232 items to be staged in 20 venues. There will be 172 stage and 50 off stage items,” the minister said.
Special arrangements have been made at Jawahar Stadium for providing free food to the participants. “Vegetarian feast, including payasam, will be served on all days. About 3,000 people can be served at a time. Food for 15,000 persons will be prepared for lunch, and 10,000 for breakfast and dinner every day,” the minister said.
Expenses
The total budget for the conduct of the mega event is Rs 2. 10 crore. The first second and third prize winners will be given a cash award of Rs 2000, Rs 1600 and Rs 1200 respectively.
‘Transparency will be the key’Director of Public Instruction K V Mohan Kumar said utmost care would be given to maintain transparency in the judgement.
No person, who was in the district-level judging panels, will be made judge of any of the events in the state festival. A nine-member appeal committee has also been set up to address grievances.
Gold cup arrives
The 132-sovereign gold cup, which was brought to the district, was accorded a rousing reception at various places on Saturday. Additional director DPI Jessy Joseph, district panchayat president K V Sumesh, and mayor E P Latha attended the press meet.