Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala education minister C Raveendranath has confirmed that the state school youth festival, Kalolsavam, will be held in Alappuzha in December.

While sports fest will be held in Thiruvananthapuram in October, the science fair will be held in Kannur in December. The special school festival will be held by October end in Kollam.

Inaugural and closing ceremonies will not be held this year.

The government had cancelled all events, including Kalolsavam and International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), after massive floods caused widespread damage in the state. The government also called for donating all the funds earmarked for such celebration to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund opened in the wake of the August calamity. Alappuzha was one of the worst-hit districts in the deluge.

The year-long bar on state-sponsored celebrations had upset the ministers who claimed they were not even consulted over the matter.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is in the US for medical treatment, then gave an in-principle approval for conducting Kalolsavam, stating that students should not miss out on grace marks.

However, authorities have assured that all arrangements will be in place for the smooth conduct of the fest. The Kudumbashree will take care of catering at the event that will witness thousands of students from across the state vying to emerge the best performer.

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