A grant of Rs. 1 crore will be provided for the construction of a Beary Community Hall in Kodagu district, said U.T. Khader.
He was speaking after inaugurating the first Kodagu District Beary Literary Conference held at Kaveri Hall in Madikeri on Tuesday.
The event was organised jointly by the Karnataka Beary Sahitya Academy and the Kodagu Beary Welfare Trust.
Khader stated that land would be identified for the project and assured that funds would be released with the cooperation of local MLA Dr. Mantar Gowda and Virajpet MLA A.S. Ponnanna.
Emphasising the need to preserve Beary culture, literature and heritage, he said such conferences would contribute to linguistic development and social progress. He highlighted the importance of book culture among youth and called for efforts to encourage reading habits among children.
Conference President B.A. Shamshuddin noted significant progress in the educational and social status of the Beary community in recent decades, attributing it to the emphasis on education and institutional support. He highlighted the growing participation of community members in professional fields and the remarkable achievements of students, particularly girls, in academics.
Senior writer S.G. Siddaramaiah spoke on the cultural and linguistic significance of Beary identity, while Kodagu District Folklore Council President B.G. Ananthashayana stressed the importance of unity and cultural preservation. Â Kodagu District Kannada Sahitya Parishad President M.P. Keshava Kamath underscored the need to actively use and preserve languages to sustain culture.
The programme was attended by several dignitaries and featured cultural performances, discussions, and felicitation of achievers.
