VIJAYAWADA: The State Government will present 60 YSR Lifetime Achievement Awards and YSR Achievement Awards in various categories on August 13. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will present the awards at a function to be held at A1 Convention Hall in Vijayawada. These awards are instituted in honour of former chief minister the late YS Rajasekhara Reddy.
The awardees are selected in the categories of agriculture, fine arts, culture, literature and Covid frontline warriors. Dr YSR Lifetime Achievement awardees will receive a cash award of Rs 10 lakh, YSR bronze statue and a medal. Under the YSR Achievement Award, Rs 5 lakh cash award and a bronze statue of YSR and a medal will be presented.
The State government has instituted ‘YSR Life Time Achievement and YSR Achievement Awards for Public Service’ in order to acknowledge and reward those who made outstanding contributions to the society. This award is given for distinguished and exceptional achievements/service in all fields of activities/disciplines. The award is normally not conferred posthumously.
However, in deserving cases, the government will be giving the awards posthumously to certain deserving persons. The government had constituted a High Power Committee to select the award winners. The committee was headed by Praveen Prakash, Principal Secretary (Political). Advisors to the Government Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, Devulapalli Amar, Dr Ramachandra Murthy Konubhatla, GVD Krishna Mohan and K Damayanthi (Principal secretary, women, child, differently-abled and senior citizens department), K Usha Rani, Principal Secretary (Revenue), Kona Sasidhar, Commissioner (Civil Supplies) T Vijay Kumar Reddy, Secretary (I&PR) were its members. JV Murali, Deputy Secretary (Protocol), is the member-convener of the panel. The committee had submitted its recommendations along with the list of nominations to the government. A total of 60 people and organisations will be presented the awards.
Some of the awardees include MSN Charities Trust of Kakinada, CP Brown Library of Kadapa, Saraswatha Nikethan Library of Vetapalem in Prakasam district, Satya Sai Central Trust in Anantapur, Rural Development Trust in Anantapur, Maharaja Government College of Music and Dance in Vizianagaram, Kadiam Nurseries founder Palla Venkatanna, Ponduru Khaddar Andhra Fine Khadi Kaarmikabhydaya Sangham in Srikakulam, Vangapandu Prasada Rao from Vizianagaram, Achyuta Narayana (Bobbili Veena) from Vizianagaram, Sri Vinayak Natya Mandali - Surabhi Drama from Kadapa.