Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while presiding over the Shikhar Samman ceremony on Saturday said, “The state government is committed to conserving the rich culture, heritage and literature of the state and has launched several schemes to encourage writers, artists, craftsmen and artisans.”
He said, “Literature plays an important role in igniting the mind and equipping society with the capability to see the world from a different perspective.”
Thakur said, “Conferring of two Padma Shri Awards to Vidyanand Saraik and Lalita Vakil of Himachal Pradesh is a great honour for the state and said they have been working to promote cultural heritage and traditions of the state.”
Chief Minister honoured Acharya Keshav Sharma with Bharat Ratan Atal Bihari Vajpayee Shikhar Sahitya Samman-2017 and Dr. O.C. Handa for 2018. Mohan Rathor was given Maharaja Sansar Chand Shikhar Samman for the year 2017 and Dinesh Kumari for 2018. They were given a cash prize of Rs one lakh and a citation.
Several other awards and prizes were also given in this function for people selected from the field of art, literature and culture. Education and Culture Minister Gobind Singh Thakur was also present on this occasion.