Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu (File Photo)
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu today sought a multi sports stadium at Itanagar besides a residential academy in the state at a meeting with Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore in New Delhi. He also expressed willingness to develop adventure sports and augmenting sports infrastructure in the state, given the huge potential that exists in the state, an official release said.
“Multi sports stadium and residential academy if considered by the ministry will change the face of sports in the state” Khandu said. The union minister was in complete endorsement of the need to encourage adventure sports in the state given the picturesque locales and the experience that the landscape of the state has to offer. The sports minister suggested the state government to formulate proposals for adventure sports under the schemes of the ministry and DoNER.
Rathore, while assuring all possible support, has asked the state government to formulate projects with integrated concept for consideration of the ministry. He also suggested conducting a visit by state officials to Gopichand’s academy in Hyderabad which has integrated complex housing both training and sports area and residential facility for the players.
Union Sports Secretary Injeti Srinivas who was also present in the meeting said that ‘Khelo India’ scheme offers ample scope for setting up of sports infrastructure in the state. The request made by the chief minister for ‘Rural hunt’ by SAI to tap the unexplored sports potential in the state was readily agreed by the ministry, the release said.
The ministry suggested to explore the possibility of gap funding for 5 ongoing stadiums (under erstwhile special plan assistance by Government of India) through the Ministry of DoNER under its non-lapsable pool.
Rathore, who is also the union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, on the request of Khandu for inclusion of Singpho dialect in AIR broadcast from Itanagar, suggested to avail the scheme of Community Radio Stations (CRS) of the ministry which would broaden the outreach in local dialect/language within the vicinity of the CRS location.
