Ranchi, Aug. 30: The Union government has asked the state culture department to recommend names for the Padma Awards, which are to be given to the outstanding people for their contributions in the field of art and culture.

The Madhya Pradesh government has also asked the department to recommend names of people for consideration of various other awards.

Sources said this is the second time the department has been asked by the Centre and first time by the Madhya Pradesh government to recommend names for these awards.

Last year, noted Chhau exponent from Jharkhand Kedar Nath Sahu was given the Padma Shree awards by the Centre, after getting recommendation from the state culture department.

?We have received a communication from the Union home ministry. The same letter has been forwarded by the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, Calcutta. Similarly, we have received a letter from Pawan Kumar Jain, Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal, run by the Madhya Pradesh government,? sources said.

The awards for which recommendations have been sought from Madhya Pradesh government are Kalidas Samman (visual arts), Kishor Kumare Samman (light music), Kalidas Samman (theatre), Rashtriya Tulsi Samman (tribal and folk arts), Kalidas Samman (classical music), Rashtriya Kabir Samman (Indian poetry), Kalidas Samman (classical dance), Iqbal Samman (Urdu literature).

A cash prize accompanying these awards is Rs 1 lakh.

Other awards include Sharad Joshi Samman (Hindi literature, Rs 51,000), Tansen Samman (classical music, Rs 1 lakh), Rashtriya Mahatma Gandhi Samman (national unity and integrity and communal harmony, Rs 5 lakh), Rashtriya Lata Mangeshkar Samman (Rs 1 lakh, light music), Devi Ahilya Samman (tribal and folk art, Rs 1 lakh), Rashtriya Kumar Gandharva Samman (classical music and instrumental, Rs 51,000, for artistes of age group 25 to 45 years) and Maithili Sharan Gupt Samman (Hindi literature, Rs 1 lakh).

?We have formed an informal ?search committee? of resource persons, who know about the artistes, to send their recommendations to us. The final recommendation will be sent only after taking the feedback from the resource persons,? sources said.

The department, in collaboration with the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, has proposed to organise an artist?s camp at St. Ignatious School, Gumla, next month.

The camp will be attended by many painters from all over the country. Last year, too, a similar camp was organised in Dumka, and it turned out to be quite successful among the participants.

?The paintings made by them during the camp will be put on sale at the end of the programme. The money earned through the sale will be divided between the government and the artistes,? informed sources.