Cong slams govt’s attitude toward sports persons.

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaSeptember 12, 2019

SHILLONG: The opposition Congress has slammed the state government over the lack of financial assistance to sports associations especially for preparing the state’s athletes for the upcoming National Games 2022. 

Raising supplementary questions in the Assembly here on Thursday, Mawsynram MLA Himalaya M Shangpliang said the sports department has sanction Rs 10 crore for construction of stadiums while it has spent only Rs 43 lakh to provide financial assistance to different sports associations. 

He said the government has only Rs 15,000 for participating in a taekwondo tournament and Rs 60,000 for the North –east inter-state badminton tournament. 

Expressing concern over the attitude of the department towards the sports persons, Shangpliang said, “There is a famous saying that if you give nuts, you get monkeys.” 

He alleged that many sports persons were deprived to take part in national and zonal championships due to the non-release of funds by the department. “We need our sports persons to take part in different championships as part of preparing them for the national games,” Shangpliang said. 

In his reply, chief minister Conrad K Sangma however said the government is working out ways and means to increase the fund for providing financial assistance to the different sports associations. 

He said Rs 49 lakh was sanctioned during 2018-19 but compared in the past five years, it was only Rs 29 lakh and nothing was sanction during 2017-18. 

The MLA also wanted to know when the state government is going to sanction fund proposed by the Meghalaya State Olympic Association (MSOA) for sending 15 selected athletes for intensive training outside the state for the national games.

Informing that the matter is still being examined by the government, the chief minister said the proposal was at Rs 41 crore for 18 disciplines. 

Earlier, sports and youth affairs minister Banteidor Lyngdoh in the course of his reply said that he is trying to streamline the department. 

“I am a sports person and I love sports from the bottom of my heart. I am trying to streamline the department and I appeal to all members to suggest and help me,” he said.