The lucky lot: Members of the Tamil Nadu Special Task Force celebrate Veerappan?s death. (Reuters file picture)

Bangalore, Feb. 6: More than 100 days after Veerappan's death in a gunbattle, police personnel who stalked the bandit are looking askance at the Karnataka government for the proposed reward package of Rs 55 crore.

The government has not released any money to the 2,000-odd personnel of the Special Task Force so far. In comparison, their Tamil Nadu counterparts are richer by Rs 3 lakh and a housing site each as well as a one-step elevation in rank.

Ten days after the sandalwood smuggler?s death, the 752-strong force was felicitated and rewarded in Chennai by Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa.

The Karnataka government has not even decided on the recipients of its reward of Rs 5 crore announced in the nineties for capturing Veerappan. On October 21, 2004, chief minister Dharam Singh raised the amount by Rs 50 crore, including housing plots.

Veerappan, who unleashed a reign of terror in the forest, killing over 130 police personnel and a former minister, was shot dead in an encounter in the Papparapatti reserve forest area, 10 km from Dharmapuri in north Tamil Nadu, on October 18.

According to officers who are awaiting the coveted prize list, the state government is yet to work out a formula for distributing the money.

The allotment has been delayed as a result of the police giving too many lists in addition to those drawn up by various STF commanders (at least four IPS officers headed the force since 1994). The forest department is also claiming its share for the staff who were involved in the operation since the nineties.

Police officers of the districts neighbouring MM Hills where the combing operations were carried out, too, have requested a slice of the package for their personnel.

?We have been told to wait for a viable formula on the prize amount. We have no idea how long it will be before we get to hear how many of us have made it to the final list of reward winners,? a senior police officer said.

Karnataka director-general of police S.N. Borkar said his proposal on the rewards would be sent to the chief minister this week.

?I have worked on slabs for the prize money, ranging from Rs 50,000 for constables to Rs 3 lakh for IPS officers. One important criterion will be that each of them ought to have served the special task force for at least two years to qualify for the reward,? said Borkar.

?With this, we will draw up the list for the initial prize of Rs 5 crore. The other one (Rs 50 crore) will be taken up later and the fund will be utilised to acquire sites for the STF men in Bangalore,? added Borkar.

Official sources, however, said the lists would be delayed because of coalition politics ? the finance portfolio is held by Janata Dal (S) leader and deputy chief minister Siddaramaiah.

?The list cannot be released till the finance minister gives his approval. This has not figured in discussions between the chief minister and the deputy chief minister so far,? a source said.