GUWAHATI, Oct 25 � Aranya Manab Jadav Payeng, the man who single-handedly grew a sprawling forest on a sandbar of the Brahmaputra river, would be given the Assam Jatiya Bidyalay Fellowship in honour and recognition of his 35-year-long pursuit of planting and tending trees, which has now grown into a forest reserve.
Payeng, a resident of Aruna Sapori at Kokilamukh in Jorhat district is a recipient of several awards and honours for his relentless efforts towards the conservation of forest and wildlife.
The fellowship, instituted by Assam Jatiya Bidyalay Educational and Socio Economic Trust have been given to musician Ramen Baruah, botanist Ananda Chandra Dutta and Sattriya culture exponent Basistha Debsarma.
Payeng would receive the fellowship for the next two years, as a part of which, he would receive an economic assistance of Rs 5,000 every month.
The fellowship ceremony would be held at the Assam Jatiya Bidyalay campus at Noonmati on November 2 next.
The school�s educational trust has instituted a new award called the Assam Jatiya Bidyalay Sanman from this year. Javelin thrower Devayani Bora, theatre artist Priyo Baishya, football players Durga Bodo and Allen Deori and Jibon Shilpi Adya Sarma of Nalbari would be given this award that consist of a cash award of Rs 25,000, a citation and a memento each, said a statement from the trust.
