Madurai MP, Su. Vekatesan, has flayed the Indian Railways move to hand over 15 railway stadia to the Rail Land Development Authority for commercial development.
“It is anti-people and anti-national,” he said in a memorandum sent to Union Railway Minister, Piyush Goyal.
The Indian Railways has a sports promotion board, which is the single largest sports entity having 50% international players and one third of medal winners.
Former captain of Indian cricket team M. S. Dhoni and former Olympian P. T. Usha were drawn from the ticket checking category.
Many employees from lower categories have done well in sports due to accessibility of sports facilities and infrastructure in the Indian Railways.
Among the 21 Olympic medals India has won, 13 were by railway personnel. Several Arjun awardees were also from the Railways.
Stating that free accessibility of large sports infrastructure in the Railways made such achievements possible, he said the latest move by the Centre would deny accessibility of such facilities to the common man.
He appealed to the Minister to retain the stadia under the control of the zonal railways and production units.
