Standing firmly by the demand of players of the Punjab State Power Corporation limited (PSPCl) sports cell, Punjab Power Minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar on Thursday refused to do away with the state power utility’s sports cell saying that the State Government is absolutely in favour of encouraging sports culture among the youth and absorbing them in suitable avenues.
“Since the inception of PSPCl sports cell, over 400 players have been a part of it and PSPCl is proud of holding All India Sports Control Board Champions Trophy for over a decade and a half. We have an Arjuna Awardee as our Senior Sports Officer and we also have a huge sports infrastructure in Patiala, Bhatinda and other districts,” said Kangar.
Most importantly, he said that the State Government is committed to keep the youth away from drugs by means of providing suitable job opportunities to all. “Thus, the question does not arrive of declaring sports cells as a dying cadre…I have directed immediate review of the decision by the Board of Directors and I ensure the players that PSPCl will continue absorbing players in its fold as usual,” he said.
Notably, PSPCl BoD, in its measures to prune the staff, had proposed its sports cell to be converted into a dying cadre.