Bhubaneswar: Eminent author Sarojini Sahoo will be conferred with prestigious Sarala Puraskar for her novel Asthira Pada. The work was published by Srujan India in 2019. The writer will be presented with a plaque and a sum of Rs 5 lakh October 26. The IMFA Charitable Trust (IMPaCT) gives the prestigious honour annually for the best literary achievement. Along with Sarojini’s novel, the other books that made it to the final round were Aparna Mohanty’s Agni Kamalini, Ashutosh Parida’s Aprastuta Mrutyu, Dash Benhur’s Abadharita O Anyanya Galpa, Bijay Kumar Satpathi’s Kankana Dasi Katha, Biyot Projna Tripathy’s Maya and Padmaj Paul’s Sita Mun Sita.
Besides this, the ‘IlaBansidhar Panda Kala Samman’, given every year by IMPaCT for lifetime excellence in the field of art, has also been announced for 2024. Sculptor Sudarshan Sahoo and famous singer Tansen Singh will be given the award this year. They will receive a certificate, a plaque and Rs 2 lakh each as part of the award. The Sarala Puraskar, instituted by eminent Odia industrialist Dr Bansidhar Panda and his wife Ila Panda in 1980, has been continuously awarded by the IMPaCT.