Bhubaneswar, June 15: Two Odia writers have been chosen for the prestigious Kendra Sahitya Akademi awards for 2024. Sanjay Kumar Panda will receive the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar, while Manas Ranjan Samal has been selected for the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar.
The awards were announced following the Kendra Sahitya Akademi's executive body meeting on Saturday. Samal's book of short stories, titled 'Gapa Kalika', was selected for the Bal Sahitya Puraskar, while Panda's collection of Odia short stories, titled 'Hu Baia', earned him the prestigious award.
The books were chosen based on recommendations from a jury consisting of three members for each respective language, in accordance with the established rules and procedures. Following this procedure, the executive board announced the awards after receiving a unanimous or majority vote from the jury.