Udhampur, Jan. 28 -- Dogri folk singer Romalo Ram expressed gratitude to the central government for honouring him with the Padma Shri Award in the field of art.

"I am grateful to the government. The previous government used to ignore Dogri folk art. For the past 40 years, I have been associated with this art. We have preserved our heritage and worked with renowned people," he said on Saturday.

He further said that he was very thankful to the government for honouring 'Maa Boli Dogri'.

"This is not only my achievement but also that of my friends who used to sing with me. We have preserved the heritage of Dogri folk music," he added.

There are 132 names on the list of Padma Awardees this year, including two duo cases (in a duo case, the ...