BHUBANESWAR: Author Jugal Kishor Sarangi will be conferred this year’s Bal Sahitya Puraskar for his book ‘Jejenka Gapa Ganthili’. This was announced by Sahitya Akademi on Friday. ‘Jejenka Galpa Ganthili’ is a book of stories published in 2018.
Sarangi will receive a copper plaque and a cash reward of Rs 50,000 at a special function to be held in New Delhi later this year. A native of Sindhekela village in Balangir district, Sarangi is not just a children’s writer but also a lyricist with All India Radio.
The executive board of Sahitya Akademi met under the chairmanship of President Madhav Kaushik and approved the selection of 22 writers in various languages including Sarangi for the award. The book was selected on the recommendation of a three-member jury for the Odia language comprising authors Phani Mohanty, Bhupen Mohapatra and Maheswar Mohanty.
Sarangi’s book was also shortlisted for the Bal Sahitya Puraskar in 2021 but could not win. Residing in Titilagarh, the 78-year-old author has been writing books for children for the last 30 years. Having worked for the School and Mass Education department as an inspector of schools, his first book was ‘Asare Pile Asa’.
Sarangi writes both in Odia and Koshali languages. “It was during my tenure as a school inspector that I started writing books for children. I strongly believe if children smile, the world smiles,” said the author, who has been distributing children’s books among schools and orphanages free of cost. Currently the vice-president of All India Children Literary Foundation, Kolkata, he also helps children of Singhakhamana High School at Balangir publish a children’s magazine ‘Mathakhai’ by themselves.