Sports and youth welfare department has no funds for the rural sports events aimed at exploring young local talent. Khelo India, the Central government’s to nurture sporting talent, has come in handy for the sports and youth welfare department facing financial issues. joint director Vinod Pradhan told Free Press, that the department has discontinued the budget for holding rural and women sports activities from the current year 2018-19 since Khelo India has been launched there was now no need to spend funds on holding sports events at local-level.
He said two events were held to explore local young sports talents and after due grooming and training for upcoming events. Thereafter their expenditure are borne by union Government, he informed. The department decision to discontinue the allotment of budget for district and divisional-level sports activities for the year 2018-19 will hit the budding players.
Earlier this month, minister Yashodhra Raje Scindia had raised the issue of lack of funds stating, ‘anyhow we are arranging the amount to conduct sports events and our sports persons are bagging medals in the events’. JPradhan, claimed that despite financial issues, the sports events organised by them have brought to fore local talented players.He said that department focuses on middle school students, including boys and girls for sports events. Talented students are accommodated in hostel for training.
Rs 12 per student every year
In the year 2017-18, the department allocated Rs 6.10 crore for holding rural and women sports events and also for the training of the selected players. However, this amount is too meagre if one takes into account the number students in government school. As per the data, there around 50 lakh students in the primary, middle and high school in last academic year. So on and average, an amount of Rs 12 is what is spent on training, sports gear and kit on a student per year in the state.