Salgaocars institute eminent Goan award

Sandesh Prabhudesai
5 April 2001  

The V M Salgaocar Foundation has instituted a prestigious award to an eminent Goan, to be awarded annually to one outstanding personality who has made significant contribution in the society.

It would constitute a sum of Rs one lakh and a silver plaque.

Announcing the award at a press conference, Shivanand and Dattaraj Salgaocar - the trustees and sons of VM, said : "the basic idea is to pose a model before our youngsters, like our father who started from a very poor background".

A panel constituting experts from various fields and trustees of the Foundation will select one such personality every year, either a resident of Goa or of Goan origin but having love and affection towards Goa and its welfare.

Any such personality, who has distinguished in any sphere of activity, covering arts and culture, science and technology, education, humanities, sports, business and industry, medicine, environment, literature, journalism and social work, would be selected for the award.

Late V M Salgaocar is the founder of House of Salgaocars, which started with a mining firm and has today spread into various other sectors including shipping, real estate, power generation, hospitality etc. Besides running educational institutions, the football team of Salgaocar is also making waves all over India.

The Salgaocar brothers also listed out other activities of the Foundation, including a V M Salgaocar lecture every year, to begin with Dr R A Mashelkar on 'knowledge industry' on 6 May at Hotel Marriott.

The Foundation also plans to publish a rare book of historical significance annually. The first one in the series is 'Konkanakhyan', written in Marathi by an unknown person 200 years ago which provides an historical insight of the whole Konkan region. Eminent journalist and writer Chandrakant Keni has edited the book.

Besides this, the Foundation has also announced cash prizes of Rs 5000 each to the first five SSC rankers, the first ranker each in CBSE and ICSE examination at state level as well as first ranker at the Mining School in Dhanbad in Bihar.

The Foundation also grants scholarships to the needy students who are sons and daughters of the employees of House of Salgaocars. The Foundation has kept aside around Rs 10 lakh annually for these activities, they said.

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