Thiruvananthapuram: Shortly after Anoop, the winner of the Rs 25-crore Thiruvonam Bumper lottery, put out a video lamenting about his inexperience in dealing with that big an amount, the Kerala State Lotteries Department announced that it will hold a one-day training programme for him on financial management.
The programme is arranged in partnership with the Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation (GIFT). The Department hopes to have regular programmes soon, especially for its winners. Anoop will be among the first batch of 'students' to receive this training. He will be trained on long-term investments, how to invest safely, and how to pay taxes.
The training programme was first announced by Finance Minister KN Balagopal in the last budget.
GIFT has also been tasked with reviewing the current financial position of previous winners. They are slated to report back to the government on this soon.
In the video posted on social media, the Sreevaraham native is heard saying: "I'm a simple man. I don't know the way the taxes work or how to manage money. I can only go by the advice of professionals."
Anoop welcomed the initiative. Initially, he had planned to deposit the money as a fixed deposit on the suggestion of last year's lottery winner, Jayapalan. It remains to be seen if that'd still be the case.
The lottery win will see Anoop, who used to work as an auto driver, net Rs 15.75 crore after deducting tax and agent's commission. He is yet to receive the money five days after the draw.
Usually, if the winner produces the necessary documents, the amount is remitted within three days. The delay is on account of a small error in one of Anoop's documents.
The Department has already written to the bank where Anoop submitted the ticket to expedite the matter.
Despite the big win, Anoop and his family are passing through emotional trauma. Since the day of the announcement, their home in Thiruvananthapuram has been besieged by people, some even as far as Kannur, seeking monetary aid. In the video, Anoop is also seen pleading with them to stay away. "We are feeling trapped inside our own house. We can't go out or go anywhere, not even with a mask. People storm us everywhere we go. It has become so dire that we are considering shifting to a different house," he says in the video.
