New Delhi, August 11: Two journalists of The Indian Express have received this year’s Prem Bhatia awards for Political Journalism and Environmental Reporting.

The Indian Express Principal Correspondent Varghese K George received the Rs 1-lakh Prem Bhatia award for excellence in Political Journalism for his exposes on how government officials siphoned-off crores of rupees meant for flood relief in Bihar.

George’s articles prompted the government to institute a probe against 26 officials, including high-profile IAS officer Gautam Goswami. George’s reports on the Bihar Assembly has also been noted in his citation.

The award for environmental reporting went to The Indian Express Senior Assistant Editor Jay Mazoomdar for his series on missing tigers in India’s national parks, beginning with Sariska. Mazoomdar’s stories forced the government to form a �Tiger Task Force’ headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Prem Bhatia foundation also gives out two scholarships each year to rookie journalists which went to Jaydeep Hardiker, Staff Reporter for the Hitvada in Nagpur and Jatinder Jeet Singh, Staff Reporter for The Tribune this year.

Hardiker's research will focus on "The Paradox of Plenty in Vidharbha" while Singh will investigate the "Changing Demography in Punjab, the Immigration of Punjabis and the Role of the Media".

The annual Prem Bhatia Memorial Lecture was delivered by eminent jurist Ashok Desai – a speech on the Constitution and the future of democracy peppered with sharp wit, humour and personal experience.