Prize money for athletes under review; revised amount will be announced: DCM

CH NEWS BENGALURU The prize money being awarded to Karnataka athletes is being reviewed in comparison with other states, and the revised amount will be announced, Deputy Chief Minister, Revenue and Youth Empowerment and Sports Minister Dr G. Parameshwara said. Speaking to reporters near the West Gate of Vidhana Soudha, he said the government had already discussed the matter with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. “We have obtained information about the higher prize money being offered by other states and examined it. I have already discussed with the Chief Minister the need to review the prize money in Karnataka. The revised amount will be announced,” he said. Parameshwara said he had tried to contact athlete Pooja Vastrakar to congratulate her while she was in Japan, but could not reach her. He spoke to her within a few hours of her return to India and had also interacted with other athletes. Central drought teams visit districts On the visit of central drought assessment teams, Parameshwara said three teams were formed and sent to different parts of Karnataka. The teams are visiting districts from October 3 to 6. They are assessing the situation in the 101 taluks declared drought-hit in the first phase. The state government has also requested the teams to visit the remaining 77 taluks declared drought-hit in the second phase. The teams have interacted with farmers and inspected agricultural fields. District commissioners and Zilla Panchayat chief executive officers have briefed them on the ground situation. The assessment is expected to conclude today or tomorrow, after which the teams will submit their report to the Centre. The Centre will decide on relief based on the report. ₹46,000 crore estimated loss Parameshwara said Karnataka’s 177 drought-hit taluks had suffered an estimated loss of around ₹46,000 crore. The state has sought ₹10,000-₹11,000 crore in compensation. He said the Chief Minister and he were considering leading a delegation to the Centre while submitting the final memorandum and seeking relief. On Form-7 misuse, Parameshwara said the state had submitted a complaint to the Election Commission along with evidence and urged action against those allegedly submitting large numbers of applications using voter data.