Haryana sports gets a big boost

Haryana sports gets a big boost
Balbir Singh

Chandigarh, January 14: The sports activities in Haryana have received a big boost as Union Sports Minister Uma Bharti has asked Haryana Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala to furnish details of the pending projects with the Sports Ministry for clearance.

Expressing gratitute for extending warm and generous hospitality during her recent visit to the state, Uma Bharti wanted to know ‘‘if there are few pending proposal which can be expedited by our joint cooperation.’’

The Union Sports Minister has also directed her department to take immeidate follow up action.

Haryana Chief Minister Chautala has asked the Director of Sports and Youth Welfare B K Sinha to furnish all details about the pending proposals with the Sports Ministry. Chautala will soon send details of the pending projects to Uma Bharti for early clearnace.

It is learnt that more than 200 Haryana proposals are awaiting clearance from the Centre. The important projects which need immediate clearance are: laying of astroturf in Gurgaon; construction of a stadium in Jhajjar; laying of astroturf in Ambala; construction of a modern stadium in Sector 3 Panchkula; Tejli Sports Complex in Yamunanagar, construction of youth hostels in Yammunangar, Sirsa, Panipat, Gurgaon and other centres and financial assistance to rural schools and colleges.

Sinha disclosed that proposal for laying of a hockey astroturf in Gurgaon was sent to the Union Government. The total budget for the laying the turf was Rs 2.35 crore. The Union Government agreed to give Rs one crore on May 1, last year. However, Haryana has not received any sanction.

Similarly, the Union Government had agreed on April 28 last year to give Rs one crore for laying the hockey astroturf in Ambala at an estimated cost of Rs three crore. The Centre has yet to issue the sanction.

Sinha was confident that the pending proposals would be soon cleared by the Centre as the Union Sports Minister has shown keen interest in development of sports in the state.

School Games in Guna postponedThe National School Games in basketball (boys and girls under-14 and 14) and handball (boys and girls under-17 and 19), scheduled to be held at Guna (MP) from January 17 to 22, have been postponed.

According to School Games Federation of India Secretary General PS Chhabra, the games have been postponed due to the sad demise of Mrs Laxman Singh, wife of Member of Parliament from Guna.

The SGFI has deeply condoled the death of Mrs Laxman Singh.Chhabra announced that the new dates would be announced soon.