The award comprises a cash prize of Rs 10,000 and a citation. Speaking at the function, Marpakwar regretted the state government's lackadaisical attitude in spite of his successful exposure of the criminal links of doctors at J J Hospital. Although a committee was set up thereafter, no action was taken against the doctors concerned. On the contrary, the accused was made dean of the institute, he added.

Giving away the award, Madhusudhan Sathaye, Assistant Chief Editor, Univarta, and Assistant General Manager of the United News of India, exhorted Marathi journalists to come out of their regional shells and take up professional challenges at the national level. The future belongs to the language media, and even TV channelswere devoting their programmes to regional languages apart from Hindi, he added.