KATHMANDU: The government has decided to present the Mahakavi Devkota Puraskar for 2015 to different literary figures. The prize is given under five genres of literature.

Dwarika Shrestha from Bandipur, Tanahu (poetry); Ghanashyam Raj Karnikar of Kamalpokhari, Kathmandu (essay), Bhagirathi Shrestha from Palpa (drama); Devi Prasad Banbasi from Shakharedanda Syangja (child and folk literature); and Chudamani Regmi from Wana of Sanjhuwasabha (linguistic; and literature) have been selected for the award that carries a purse of Rs 100,000 each.

A meeting of the Council of Ministers today okayed the award nomination list proposed by a committee formed earlier to recommend the names for the award, the government said.

Meanwhile, the government is to honour four people — Som Prasad Khatiwada (culture), Tara Thapa (music and drama), Radheshyam Mulmi from Kaski (fine arts ) and Rabilal Adhikari from Kaski (language and literature) — with the National Talent Prize. It carries a purse of Rs 100,000 each.

Similarly, the Regional Talent Prize under culture genre is to be presented to Gopal Pokhrel Bibas of Sankhuwasabha (eastern region), Kalpana Shrestha of Kathmandu (central region), Bhaweshwor Pangeni of Palpa (western region), Shiva Kumar Subedi of Dang (mid-western region) and Aatmaram Ojha of Baitadi (far western region).

Ram Kumar Mandal of Morang (eastern region), Bharat Nepal of Bhaktapur (central region), Padam Raj Dhakal of Kaski (western region), Ganesh Gautam of Surkhet (mid-western region) and Raj Kumar Joshi of Kailali (far-western region) have been nominated for the award under music and drama category.

Bishnu Prasad Shrestha of Ilam (eastern region), Sushma Simkhada of Dhading (central region), Alok Gurung of Kaski (western region), Syamananda Singh of Banke (mid-western region) and Ramesh Kadayat of Kailali (far-western) are to be honoured with the regional talent award under fine arts category.

Likewise, Prof Bhim Prasad Khatiwada of Jhapa (eastern region), Chandra Prasad Neupane of Sindhupalchowk (central region), Rajani Dhakal of Syangja (western region), Chhabilal Chaudhary of Dang (mid-western region) and Bir Bahadur Chand of Kailali (far-western region) have been nominated under the language and literature category.