CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday presented Kalaignar M Karunanidhi Classical Tamil Award for 2023 to Dr K Ramasamy, former deputy director of the Central Institute of Classical Tamil, at the secretariat. The award carries Rs 10 lakh, a citation and a bronze statue of former chief minister M Karunanidhi.
The award is given to a scholar every year who contributes to archaeology, numismatics, literature, linguistics, etc. Stalin also released four books published by the Central Institute of Classical Tamil.
He later paid floral tributes to freedom fighter VO Chidambaram Pillai on his 151st birth anniversary at his memorial in Guindy. Stalin also unveiled the statue of Dr. P Subbarayan, former chief minister of Madras Presidency, installed on the Gandhi Mandapam complex in Guindy.
The chief minister also greeted teachers and hailed their contribution to shaping up students on the occasion of Teachers Day. The state government has granted Rs 4.1 crore towards financial assistance to the families of 205 fisherfolk who died from June 1, 2020, to October 18, 2021, when the group insurance scheme for fishermen was not in force.
Each of the 205 families will be given Rs 2 lakh each. Meanwhile, Information Minister MP Swaminathan inaugurated an exhibition on the achievements of former chief minister M Karunanidhi during his tenure in office. The exhibition is at a government museum in Egmore and will last for one month.
Among the achievements on display, the hand-pulled rickshaw was the cynosure of eyes. Decades ago, on seeing how workers face difficulties, Karunanidhi abolished the hand-pulled rickshaws and gifted them cycle rickshaws.