Over 70 personalities from different walks of life were honoured with the Jammu and Kashmir State Awards and Chief Minister's Gold Medals for the years 2011 to 2014 at a ceremony here.
Governor N N Vohra presented the State Awards in different categories to 57 recipients, while Chief Minister Omar Abdullah awarded Gold Medals and Tabinda Gani Award for bravery to 14 children at the investiture ceremony organised at SKICC on the banks of Dal Lake.
Prominent among those who received the awards for bravery for the year 2012 included Abdul Latief, a resident of Thatharka village of Gool in Ramban district of Jammu region, for shooting dead a LeT militant, who along with his associates intruded into Latief's house in 2005 and opened indiscriminate firing killing his brother.
Other awardees included Om Goswami and Ghulam Nabi Khayal (Literature), Deepali Wattal, Ghulam Nabi Bulbul and Triloke Koul (performing arts), Nazir Ahmad Mir and Manzoor Ahmed Naqashgir (Arts and Crafts), Ladakh Heart Foundation Society, Leh (Social Reforms and Empowerment), Madhav Lal, Tanveer Jehan, Rajinder Singh and Uttar Kumar Padha (Meritorious Public Service).
Renowned cardiologist S Jalal, who died in a militant attack last year also received the State Award for meritorious public service, while Ved Rahi received the Lifetime Achievement award.
Other recipients were Ujjwal Gupta and Adil Mohi-ud-Din (Outstanding Sportsperson), Ashok Jailkhani, Sanjit Khajuria, Bashir Manzar, Javid Malik, Sameer Arshad, Maneesh Chibber, Kashmir News Service, Mohinder Verma, Bashir Malik and Aurangzeb Naqshbandi (Outstanding Mediapersons).
