In a startling revelation in the House on Thursday, the State Sports Minister said that he would come to evaluate a person’s sports capability through his saliva. While replying to a question raised by MlA Preetam Singh Panwar, the Sports Minister said that he does set much store by creating sports infrastructure with the existing infrastructure being used for the cattle to graze. Instead, he said he would lay thrust on identifying the talented sports persons by testing their saliva. He said that now, the age being known as one of technology, they must make full use of it. “Currently, we are in the process of appointing at least one sports coach in each block,” he informed.
However, the BJP MlA Suresh Rathore strongly objected to the minister rubbishing the importance of sports infrastructure, saying that Vandana Kataria had got the media attention because she had got a stadium in her neighbourhood.
leader of the opposition Indira Hridayesh said that two giant stadiums in Dehradun and Haldwani had been built during the previous regime. “We were in the process of inking a MoU for their maintenance. Now the onus is on the present Government to further things,” she said. Following which, the Minister assured that he would ensure the MoU being signed in time for the maintenance of the stadiums.
Replying to a question raised by Panwar, asking the Social Welfare Minister whether he was aware of a scam that happened in his department with the SC students, the intended beneficiaries, being deprived of their scholarship, the minister Yashpal Arya said that on May 3, 2017 a notification had been issued, asking the DMs to do physical verification of the beneficiaries. He assured that no beneficiary would be left out because of the ongoing investigation.
Replying to Deshraj Karnwal’s question, the minister of state Dr Dhan Singh Rawat said that currently the SC students are being provided with coaching classes to enhance their competence. Following the point raised by Munna Singh Chouhan of the previous state government providing cash assistance to the SC students to study outside the state, Dr Rawat said that government would look into it. “Meanwhile, we are giving Rs 750 per month by way of assistance to them and if he/she goes to other places the amount would be increased to Rs 1500 per month,” he said, adding that the State Government being sincere about education, they would ensure that a new academic calendar is issued under which classes would be held for 180 days.