Govt spent Rs 600 cr to fund sports, says Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday informed that her government has spent around Rs 600 crores to fund the clubs for their sports activities and infrastructure development since she came to power. Her revelation came at an event organised by the state sports and youth affairs department at the Netaji Indoor Stadium where she felicitated veteran sportspersons under Khelashree project.

Ms Banerjee said, “Each club has received Rs 5 lakhs so far. We have given Rs two lakhs in the first year to each followed by Rs one lakh every year for next three years to improve their infrastructure for the promotion of sports activities. Our government has already spent Rs 600 crores on this account.” According to her, the clubs in the neighbourhoods perform important roles apart from sports activities.

Encouraging the clubs to work for the society more she also tasked them to maintain peace in the areas. “The clubs not only take part in developing infrastructure for sports, they remain involved in social works like when a woman is harassed, the club members rush to her side,” Ms Banerjee claimed.

Accusing the erstwhile Left Front government for neglecting sports she alleged that the department had a budget of only Rs 74 crores before the Trinamool Congress came to power. “The figure has now been hiked by over six times to around Rs 477 crores. I am not aware why it was neglected,” she wondered.

Highlighting the state’s sports infrastructure, Ms Banerjee also took the credit for organising the U-17 World Cup quarter final, semi-final and final matches. “FIFA accorded Yuva Bharati Krirangan as one of the best stadiums in the world. We have urged them to organise the U-19 World Cup here also. If they entrust us A to Z, we will do that too. We are prepared mentally to host the event,” she said.

Banerjee also mulled over a provision in the existing state sports policy to nurture talent across the various disciplines of sports and asked officials to offer the Swasthya Sathi scheme, a health insurance cover, to retired and veteran sports personalities.

Complaining of debt burden Ms Banerjee added, “We are repaying Rs 48,000 crore for the loan that was however taken by the earlier government. But it was passed onto us. in 2006-07 they had borrowed the maximum amount including private loans. We have to repay it upon the maturity of the 10-year term loan. In 2011 we repaid a lone of Rs 25,000 crore, Rs 28,000 crores in 2012-13 and Rs 30,000 crores in 2013-14.”

She mentioned, “The repayment amount stood at Rs 30,000-35,000 crores in 2014-15. It rose to Rs 45,000 crores in 2016-17 and Rs 48,000 crores in 2017-18.”