The DCC has made the decision at a recent board meeting. The meeting has decided to award every year one individual and an organisation for their voluntary contributions and one journalist for his or her contributions through authentic reporting conveying social appeal for city development.

The award will be titled as Dhaka Nagar Padak (Dhaka city award) and introduced from December 16, the Victory Day, this year, officials said.

Each of the three awardees will receive Tk 50,000, a gold medal weighing two tolas and a citation.

Besides, the DCC will provide a good number of meritorious students with stipends.

Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, MP is expected to announce the awards and stipends next week when he will announce the DCC budget for the 2004-05 fiscal year.

There will be a special budgetary allocation of Tk 50 lakh for the award and stipend programmes, the officials said.