The State of Uttarakhand would emerge strong in the field of sports in the near future and the hosting of the National Games in 2018 would help in this endeavour. The Chief Minister, Harish Rawat, made this observation while inaugurating the synthetic track at Maharana Pratap Sports College, Raipur, on Tuesday.
He said that in the next three years various sports competitions would be held in the State, which would provide an excellent opportunity for the sports persons of the State to do well at the National and other games. Rawat said that the State Government has formulated a sports policy, which would go a long way in preparing good sportspersons in the State apart from creating job opportunities for them.
“The next two to three years will be totally dedicated to sports. The National Games to be held in Uttarakhand in 2018 are a great opportunity for the state,” Rawat said. The CM informed that a blue print for generating a conducive environment for sports in the state is being prepared. The State would organise a number of sporting events like holding rural, school, NCC, women, veteran and other sports competitions.
The CM added that people’s participation is must for development of the State. He said the State Government has prepared many development projects under which smart villages would be developed along with smart cities, with essential facilities being made available in them. He cautioned that local representatives and people would have to contribute in a big way for these projects to succeed.
Rawat said that local people should come forward and build community facilities such as anganwadi centres and school buildings in villages and the government can take these on rent. He added that the state government has launched a novel scheme under which the mid-day meals are being arranged for elderly women in rural areas.
Reverting back on sports the CM asserted that Raipur had been traditionally associated with sports and in future too, the area would be identified with sports as a massive infrastructure is being created in the area by the Government. He added that locals should also cooperate in the projects of the government. The CM accepted that there could be some inconvenience in the beginning, but once the facilities become operational the people would benefit.
He said that the state government is fully geared up for holding the national games. Rawat exhorted the students to use the sporting infrastructure of state. He assured that the government would deploy trainers so that the sportspersons of high caliber could be prepared. Rawat also instructed the Sports College Management to pay special attention on the diet of the resident students.
Speaking on the occasion the Minister for Forests and Sports Dinesh Aggarwal said that the department of sports is fully geared up to organise the national games in such a magnificent way which would catapult the state into one of the powers in the field of sports. He revealed that the Maharana Pratap Sports College would be made a Centre of Excellence.
Aggarwal attributed the opportunity to host the National Games due to the efforts made by CM Rawat. local MlA and Parliamentary Secretary Umesh Sharma ‘Kau’ Additional Chief Secretary Rakesh Sharma, additional secretary, Sports, Shailesh Bagoli, Advisor to the CM, Sanjay Chaudhary and others were present in the occasion.