Babu Pilar
Credit: Special Arrangement
Mangaluru: Social worker Babu Pilar faced disappointment during 69th Karnataka Rajyotsava celebrations when he was not able to receive neither the district award nor state award, despite being selected for both.
Pilar had received a call from Bengaluru, instructing him to be present on Friday to receive the prestigious ‘Suvarna Mahotsava’ award. Pilar informing Dakshina Kannada district administration left for Bengaluru on Thursday night. But on Friday after reaching Bengaluru, he was informed that a ‘typographical error’ had created confusion over the recipients and eventually he was denied the award.
Babu Pilar, popularly known as Babu Anna, had voluntarily cremated 4,500 bodies. Pilar said that an official from Kannada and Culture department in Bengaluru called him to inform him that he was selected for the award. “I had even asked the official to confirm if the name was correct. The official replied that the selection committee indeed suggested his name and asked him to be in Bengaluru," he recollected.
In fact, authorities had even booked a room at Kumara Krupa State Guest House in Bengaluru. "The award ceremony was scheduled for the evening. However, by noon, someone from the department called me to inform me that there was an error. The award was announced for Babu ‘Kilar’ instead of Babu Pilar,” he said.
The official tendered an apology and promised to consider his name next year.