Govt mobilized Rs 450 Cr for National games: CM

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJanuary 24, 2020

SHILLONG: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday chaired the meeting of the National Games Organizing Committee.

The meeting was attended by Sports & Youth Affairs Minister Banteidor Lyngdoh, PWD (Buildings) Minister Comingone Ymbon, Urban Affairs Minister Hamletson Dohling and government officials.

Important decisions regarding the National Games 2022 were discussed during the meeting held at the Secretariat which also informed the committee of the different steps taken by the State government.

Speaking to media, Sangma said, “The meeting discussed the locations and venues for various disciplines and the venues were finalized in terms of the infrastructure that have been created and different aspects of the locations for the training areas were finalized.”

The Chief Minister also informed that the State government has mobilized 450 crores from different ministries and departments of Government of India. “We are working commitedly and are on the track to ensure we are ready for 2022,” he said.

The meeting also discussed the preparedness of departments like Power, PHE, Urban Affairs, Roads etc. The resource and infrastructure of different institutions like IIM, NEHU and Assam Rifles to host games or as practicing areas was also discussed. Also present during the meeting were members of Meghalaya State Olympic Association.

Meanwhile, the MSOA informed that the chief minister during the meeting has assured the association that all support towards Meghalaya team preparation for the NG 2022 would be started in right earnest and necessary funds towards this would be released at the earliest.

President of the association, John F Kharshiing said an example was shown where the increased investments in the state Associations by Mizoram proved fruitful when it ranked 20 while Meghalaya ranked 34 out of the 37 states who participated in the recently concluded khelo India youth games 2020 recently held in Guwahati. Mizoram annual allocation to the state Associations alone was 2.5 crore annually.

The MSOA also requested a closer working relationship between the three co-signatories of the HCC namely the Govt of Meghalaya, Indian Olympic Association and the Meghalaya State Olympic Association, so as to have effective coordination in the preparation for the national games, he said.

He said there is need to review the  SAI (NEHU) campus as it is under utilised including exploring the possibility of approaching the Ministry of Sports for including SAI center as one of the 20 centers of Excellence as Minister kiren Rijiju had recently announced the setting upgradation of 20 Sai centers.

Besides other issues of infrastructure an venues for both Shillong an Tura, the MSOA also informed the chief minister that the IOA had also enquired about the Shillong Airport as there would be a total of ten thousand athletes approximately and officials who would otherwise have to travel from Guwahati.