Sports incentive runs into Finance Dept hurdle

    04-Apr-2021
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Sports incentive runs int
By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Apr 3: Even as the Youth Affairs and Sports (YAS) Department sent a proposal to the Finance Department to release an amount of Rs 1,62,65,500 by March 31 last for distributing Incentive State Sports Award to 1210 National achievers and participants of interna-tional level sports cham- pionships who were selected in 2018, there was no response to the proposal.
With the Finance Department not releasing the proposed amount, YAS Department is not in a position to distribute the Incentive State Sports Award 2018, sources informed.
The cash components of the Incentive State Sports Award should go to the bank accounts of the respective players/recipients, said the sources.
Altogether 1210 National level achievers/international level players were selected for the Incentive State Sports Award 2018 by a State level committee after due advertisements were published prominently in newspapers.
Of the 1210 players selected for the award from 43 different disciplines, there are players who would get only Rs 1000. At the same time, there are many players who have been suffering from extreme poverty. Yet, these players are dedicated to games and sports.
Given their daily struggle   for diet and other basic requirements, whatever little amount given by YAS Department as incentive under the State Government is of much value to these players.
The Government’s failure to release the amount of Rs 1,62,65,500 in time has turned out to be a big blow to the poor players and a serious setback to the State’s overall sports movement, said the sources.
It is said that YAS Department sent the proposal of Rs 1,62,65,500 in time so that the same amount could be released before March 31 and the administrative department too forwarded the same proposal to the concerned authority in time but to no avail.
Moreover, Chief Minister N Biren asked the Finance Minister at the request of YAS Department to release the proposed amount in time in the interest of players, the sources added.