The Odisha government on Tuesday announced an International Literary Award in memory of eminent writer Manoj Das who died on April 27 at Puducherry after prolonged illness.
Announcing about the award, Chief minister Naveen Patnaik informed that the award will carry a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh and will be presented to Odia writers for creative English literature.
Besides this ‘Manoj Kishor Sahitya Partibha Sanman, has been announced to encourage young students to write at high school level. This apart an award of Rs 1 lakh each will be given in Odia and English category every year.
A library and a memorial, Manmath-Manoj Memorial, in the name of the litterateur and his historian brother Manmath Nath Das, will also be set up at their birth place. Patnaik also announced that the state government will look after the paternal house of Das in Sankhari village of Balasore district.