Himachal Plan Sports Authority

By: Ravinder Makhaik

Shimla: To oversee sports promotion, the state government is contemplating setting up an HP Sports Authority under the chairmanship of the chief minister and involving the youth upto village level in the activities.

Presiding over a State Sports Council meet, chief minister PK Dhumal said that the department authorities needed to study memorandum of such authorities elsewhere for constituting one in the state. With the constitution of an authority, the Sports Council would be merged into it, he added.

The chief minister said that with a view to retain talented sportspersons, a provision of 3 percent reservation in government jobs had been provided for and as many as 256 outstanding sportspersons had been employed in different departments.

Various sports associations would be getting enhanced grant-in-aid that would amount to Rs 75,000 for A Category associations, Rs 50,000 for B and Rs 35,000 for C category. Earlier they were being given Rs 50,000, Rs 35,000 and Rs 25,000 only.

The enhanced financial assistance would boost sporting activities. The Panchayat Yuva Krida and Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA) programs which were started 2008-09, stood implemented in 648 gram panchayats and 16 block panchayats and Rs 1lakh was being provided for the purpose, said Dhumal.

VC Pharka, Principal Secretary youth services and sports detailed the meeting about the various sporting activities undertaken in two years.

JR Katwal, director sports council informed that State Sports Day in Memory of Major Dhyan Chand would be held at Bilaspur on September 7 and 8; a State Women Sports Festival at Dharamshala on 17-19 September; Pre World Cup Paragliding Championship at Bir Billing from October 27 to November 1; State Rural Sports Tournament at Mandi from November 12 to 15; State Sports Tournament for Physically Disabled at Hamirpur on December 2-3; State Long and Middle Distance Races at Una and Bilaspur on January 18,2011 and a youth festival would be organized at Hamirpur from December 17 to 19.