Fresh GO issued, releasing 76.53L to Jyothi Surekha

Vijayawada: The State government in an attempt to correct the faux pas, issued a new GO on Monday releasing Rs 76.53 lakh in addition to the Rs 23.47 lakh earlier given to the ace archer, Jyothi Surekha. 

The controversy was put an end with the issue of the fresh order. Earlier in the day, TDP MLC Dokka Manikya Vara Prasad and Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh chairman Ankamma Chowdary met archer Jyothi Surekha at her residence on Monday and discussed with her and her family members.  

They assured the archer that they would take the cash prize issue to the notice of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and resolve the issue at the earliest.  An earlier GO issued by the Youth Advancement, Tourism & Culture (Sports & YS) Department has led to controversy with the objections raised by Arjuna Awardee V Jyothi Surekha.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, Surekha accused SAAP officials for their decision to give some part of the reward money to another person who is not associated with her which was defiance the orders of the Chief Minister.

Jyothi Surekha said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced one crore rupees of cash award to her, but the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh requested the government to sanction Rs 15 lakh from the cash award to Cherukuri  Satyanarayana. She said Satyanarayana was not her coach and she came out from the Olga Archery Academy which belongs to Satyanarayana in 2013.  

The archer had threatened on Sunday to go on a hunger strike in protest against the harassment of SAAP officials. She said that after receiving the Arjuna award the CM had announced cash prize of one crore, a house site and a Group -1 job in the presence of sports minister Kollu Ravindra, VMC Mayor K Sridhar and MLA Gadde Rammohana Rao in August 2017.

Speaking to the media persons on Monday, Dokka Manikya Vara Prasad appreciated Surekha for her boldness to bring such irregularities to their notice. He said that necessary action would be taken to see that such issues do not recur in future.

He said that the Surekha through her achievements had made 5 crore people of the State proud. He appealed to Surekha to be bold and an inspiration to sportspersons. He assured that they would do necessary changes and give fresh order on the cash prize of Rs 1 crore announced by the government of AP without any deductions. 

He further assured her with a house site of 500 square yards along with Group-1 post.  Ankamma Chowdary assured the archer that justice would be done to her and he would discuss with the Chief Minister on the issue and resolve it.

He appealed to her not to take any steps on hunger strike as they take the responsibility to solve the issue soon. Stating that SAAP is for sports, he assured her that no injustice would be done to any sport person, he added.

Surekha said that MLC Dokka Manikya Vara Prasad and SAAP chairman Ankamma Chowdary had assured her to resolve this issue by taking it to the notice of the CM and resolve it. With due respect on their commitment she had withdrawn her hunger strike.