Chennai: Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said that the Late Kannada film star Puneeth Rajkumar, who died last year, will be conferred with the 'Karnataka Ratna' award posthumously.  

He will be the state's highest civilian honor's 10th recipient.

'We have determined to confer the Karnataka Ratna award to Puneeth Rajkumar on November 1, we will be formulating a committee consisting of Rajkumar family members to prepare for it. The award will be conferred with full honour,'' Bommai said.

He was addressing after inaugurating the annual Independence Day flower show at Lalbagh's glass house at Chennai.

The Kannada actor and doctor Dr. Rajkumar, and his son, actor Puneeth Rajkumar, are honoured in a unique floral homage at this year's flower exhibition.

Puneeth, the youngest of Dr. Rajkumar's five children and widely regarded as the current leading star of Kannada film, passed away on October 29 at the age of 46 after suffering a heart arrest.

At the "Puneetha Namana," a ceremony to honour Puneeth Rajkumar, held by the Karnataka Cinema Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) in collaboration with Sandalwood film actors' and technicians' groups, the Chief Minister had announced that the late actor will get the award.

Dr. Virendra Heggade received the Karnataka Ratna for social service last in 2009.

It's interesting to note that poet Kuvempu and Puneeth's late father Rajkumar were among the first individuals to receive the Karnataka Ratna award in 1992. S Nijalingappa (Politics), CNR Rao (Science), Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty (Medicine), Bhimsen Joshi (Music), Shivakumara Swamiji (Social Service), and Dr. J Javaregowda are other receipiants of the award (Education & Literature).

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