Mumbai, Sep 11 (PTI) Veteran music director Usha Khanna has been conferred the Maharashtra government's "Lata Mangeshkar Award" for the year 2019-20, Cultural Affairs Minister Vinod Tawde announced here on Wednesday.

The award, instituted in 1993, has been given to senior musicians for their contribution to the industry.

The award, named after the legendary singer, consists of Rs 5,00,000 cash, a citation and a memento.

Khanna, 78, is one of the few women musicians in the Indian film industry who carved out a niche for herself in the otherwise male-dominated field.

She started her illustrious career with Bollywood film "Dil Deke Dekho" in 1959, whose music became instant hit.

Some of her famous songs are "Dil deke dekho" from the 1959 film, "Chhodo Kal Ki Baatein", "Hum tumse juda hoke, mar jayenge ro roke" "Jiske liye sabko chhoda" to name a few.

She also composed music for films like "Shabnam" (1964), "Badal" (1966), "Honeymoon" (1973), "Do Khiladi" (1976), "Saajan Bina Suhagan" (1978), "Bin Phere Hum Tere", "Dada" (1979), "Gopichand Jasoos" (1982) etc.

Her last movie as a music composer was "Dil Pardesi Ho Gaya", released in 2003.

She also composed music for some Hindi television serials. PTI ND NSK NSK 09112129 NNNNjit Singh Sandoa from Rupnagar (Ropar) should also be disqualified as they had resigned from their party.

The Punjab government had on Tuesday appointed six MLAs as advisors to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, a move described by the Opposition as an attempt to circumvent the constitutional cap on the cabinet size and a "daylight robbery" of the exchequer.

Five of the Congress MLAs would now get the status of a cabinet minister while the sixth will be a minister of state.

The government had appointed Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon (Faridkot); Singh Raja Warring (Gidderbaha); Sangat Singh Gilzian (Urmur) and Inderbir Singh Bolaria (Amritsar South) as political advisors to the CM.

Fatehgarh Sahib MLA Kuljeet Singh Nagra was appointed the advisor (planning). All the five have been given a cabinet rank.

The sixth MLA -- Tarsem Singh DC (Attari) - has been made the advisor (planning) with the rank of the minister of state.

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