Minister of State for Fisheries and Sports and Youth Services Pramod Madhwaraj has said that a sports policy will be formulated and the government has started consultation with stakeholders for an all-inclusive sports policy.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Mr. Madhwaraj said that the government would hold discussions with sports bodies, sportspersons and associations in all the divisional headquarters in the State and the first such consultation was held in Kalaburagi on Tuesday.
Mr. Madhwaraj said that the government proposes to include private and public participation in the maintenance and operation of stadia in the State in the new sports policy.
As per the proposal, the government would enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with private agencies or corporates under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) scheme for maintenance and operation of facilities in stadia.
He said that as per the draft proposal, in a year, 100 days would be allotted to the government for conducting various sports activities and in the remaining 265 days, private agencies and corporates would conduct sports-related activities in such stadia. Maintenance would be shared by the government and the corporates or private agencies.
Mr. Madhwaraj said that a committee under his chairmanship has been constituted to hold consultation with stakeholders for framing the new sports policy.
The government also proposes to constitute a core 25-member student group in all the districts to take up nation-building activities, promoting patriotism and sports activities and creating awareness on government programmes among youngsters.
He said that there were 1,800 sportspersons in different sports hostels in the State and the government has decided to change the diet for sportspersons in these hostels with emphasis on improving their health conditions and keeping them fit and healthy.
Besides appointing a physiotherapist in the sports hostels, the government also proposes to take up sports psychology counselling regularly for sportspersons attached to sports hostels.
Referring to the district stadium in Kalaburagi, Mr. Madhwaraj said that the department had made a proposal to transfer seven acres of government land attached to the existing stadium to widen the track for field sports activities.
The department had prepared a proposal for spending Rs. 10 crore for increasing sports facilities in the seven acres of land which is proposed to be attached to the stadium. A sum of Rs. 7 crore has been released for the purpose.
Regional Commissioner Amlan Aditya Biswas was present.
