BENGALURU: Padma Shri awardee Saalumarada Thimmakka on Thursday was honoured with a cabinet rank for her conservation works across the state by CM Basavaraj Bommai on her 111th birthday, in Bengaluru. More than 1,200 people had gathered at Dr BR Ambedkar Bhavan to celebrate the event. Environmentalists and experts said that this is the first time anyone in Karnataka has been honoured with this rank.
Lauding her, the CM said she is the green ambassador of the state, and added the world was fortunate to have Thimmakka as an influential force. She never received any formal education, to which the CM observed that one does not need a degree but must keep working and can achieve anything in life. Bommai said that the state government would bear her travelling expenses to other parts of the state for her green endeavour.
“The State Information Department will develop a website to showcase her work and a web series would also be produced on people who have dedicated their lives for a better environment like Thimmakka,” the CM added. He said that the government will also allocate 10 acres of land near her native village in Hassan. The BDA has already gifted her 50x80 site in Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout, and the government will also build her house.
Bommai said that the Ecological Budget segment with an allocation of Rs 100 crore would be spent to offset the environmental degradation on an annual basis. Housing Minister V Sommana, former Deputy CM Dr G Parameshwar, and BJP leader Tejaswini Anantakumar were also present on the occasion.