Hamirpur (HP), Oct 18 Hamirpur MP and former Union minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday urged the state government to release incentives pending since 2018 to medal-winning athletes of the state.
Distributing sports kits to 385 young athletes at the ‘Khelega Himachal, Khilega Himachal’ programme held at Bachat Bhawan here, he said it was unfortunate that medal-winners in the state had not received their incentives since 2018.
“The government has a responsibility to honour athletes who have brought laurels to the state and the country through their hard work, talent and dedication,” he asserted.
Athletes should not be made to wait for years to receive incentives they are entitled to, he said, stressing that sports must be kept above politics and athletes should be provided with better facilities, quality training and timely incentives.
Expressing concern over the state’s sports infrastructure, Thakur said despite availability of resources, several areas still lack essential facilities such as indoor stadiums, synthetic tracks and other sports infrastructure.
He called upon the state government to address the shortage of playgrounds and ensure appointment of trained coaches across different sports disciplines. This, he said, would give talented youngsters from rural areas equal opportunities to develop their skills and compete at higher levels.
The MP said efforts would be made to develop sports grounds at panchayats across Hamirpur district to promote sports at grassroots level. He appealed to panchayat representatives to facilitate the necessary certifications for construction of playgrounds wherever land is available.
Responding to a question about the creation of new districts in Himachal Pradesh, Thakur said forming new districts solely for political gains would not be appropriate. Before any new district is created, adequate financial resources, staff, offices and essential administrative facilities must be ensured.
He pointed out that several existing blocks and subdivisions themselves lacked adequate facilities. The priority, therefore, should be to strengthen the existing administrative infrastructure, he said.
“Any expansion of administrative units must be guided by the objective of improving public convenience and delivering better services to citizens,” he said.
Organised under the aegis of Nehru Yuva Kendra, the ‘Khelega Himachal, Khilega Himachal’ initiative aims to engage young people in sports, expand sports facilities in rural areas and encourage a healthy lifestyle free from substance abuse. The kits included equipment for badminton, volleyball, basketball and other sports.
(PTI News)
