PRAYAGRAJ, April 19 -- Nearly six months after being declared the winner of a district-level painting competition, a 21-year-old undergraduate student from Prayagraj has moved the Allahabad high court over the non-payment of the promised Rs.51,000 cash prize, prompting the court to seek a response from the Uttar Pradesh government.

Taking cognisance of the plea, a division bench of Justice Saral Srivastava and Justice Garima Prasad directed the state counsel to obtain instructions from the authorities concerned on the alleged delay in releasing the award amount. The matter has been listed for further hearing on April 23.

The petition was filed by Diksha Mishra, a resident of Naini in Prayagraj.

According to the plea, the state culture ...