Srinagar: The government on Tuesday said it has inqadequate funds to promote sports activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking at the prize distribution ceremony of 24th State Thang-Ta Championship in Srinagar’s Indoor stadium, sports minister Imran Raza Ansari said that he has “very meager” funds at its disposal.
“We have an annual grant of just Rs 3 crore. Sports is a science which can play a major role in the upbringing of youth in Jammu and Kashmir so that their energies are used in a better way,” ” he told the audience after watching performance by the Thang-Ta players.
“But we have meager funds (and) we are not able to promote sports in that way,” he added.
Referring to the maintenance of Indoor stadium, the minister said, “we have a Indoor stadium but we do not have money for its maintenance.”
On the occasion, Secretary Sports Council, Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra told reporters that promotion of sports in J&K demand an allocation of at least Rs 100 crore annually.
“We have got Rs 200 crore under Prime Minister’s Development Program (PMDP) but the funds are for infrastructural development,” he explained.
“We need money to nourish and hone the skill of our players so that they can compete at national and international levels because we don’t have adequate funds to fulfill needs of players that is why we lag behind.” ( Kashmir Reader)
JK has no funds for Indoor stadium maintenance, says Ansari
