Govt to pay Malleswari her prize money

Govt to pay Malleswari her prize money
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

MUMBAI, MARCH 1: The controversy on the State Government's failure to pay the full amount of Rs 51 lakh as cash prize to Olympic bronze medal winner Karnam Malleswari, seems to be over.

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Minister of State for Education and Sports Anil Deshmukh on Wednesday said the government had made arrangements to make the payment of the remaining Rs 11 lakh.

He admitted that the government had earlier failed to make the arrangements for the payment of full cash prize to the star weightlifter. The payment was not made as a cheque of Rs 5 lakh given by Western India Football Association (WIFA) was not encashed, Deshmukh clarified in a press conference called here.

The state government had announced a prize of Rs 25 lakh to Malleswari after she won her first bronze in Olympics. However, Deshmukh had gone a step further and announced that the government would give a total prize money of Rs 51 lakh.