BENGALURU: The Bangalore University (BU) hockey team on Thursday expressed displeasure over red tape that has delayed cash awards due to them for medal-winning performances in 2019-20.
In a grand ceremony organised on November 11, BU symbolically gave away cash awards worth over Rs 6 lakh to students who brought laurels to the university at the South Zone and all-India inter-varsity meets.
It's been two weeks since students posed with university officials and giant cheques at the ceremony, but the cash has not been credited to their accounts, thanks to an administrative lag.
Initially, BU’s physical education department prepared individual cheques to be handed over to students. But the finance department nixed it, saying all transactions had to be done online.
On Thursday, the hockey team, which had won the silver at the Khelo India University Games last year and the third place in the South Zone inter-university hockey championship, said it was baffled by the lack of urgency.
“The university announced a cash award of Rs 27,000 each to 18 members of the hockey team, amounting to Rs 4.8 lakh. We ought to have got it soon after the Khelo India event in March 2020.
Due to the pandemic, BU told us they were not able to conduct the function. However, Bengaluru City University (BCU) hockey players got the money almost 11 months back,” the hockey team members said.
“Many of us struggled during the two lockdowns and had no money for training and other things. The money would have been of great help had we received it on time. Now, even 15 days after a big function, we are still waiting for the money,” the players added.
Late evening, BU vice-chancellor KR Venugopal instructed officials to complete the process by Friday. “The officials told me they would clear the pending work by Friday and students can expect the cash to be credited to their accounts within two days,” Venugopal told TOI.
“This is the first time in BU history that such a thing has happened, all because of administrative issues. The students have been running from pillar to post trying to get what is due to them. This has been very disheartening for them,” a college physical education director said.
