The impression of the COVID-19 pandemic was felt on the nationwide sports activities finances because the central authorities on Monday allotted ₹2596.14 crore for the monetary yr 2021-22 — a discount of ₹230.78 crore when in comparison with the quantity earmarked initially for the earlier yr.
Within the final monetary yr, the federal government had allotted ₹2826.92 crore for sports activities, which was later revised to ₹1800.15 crore due to the dearth of exercise attributable to the pandemic.
This yr’s allotted quantity is ₹795.99 crore greater than the revised finances of 2020-21.
Nonetheless, the spending final yr was severely impacted after Tokyo Olympics was postponed, home occasions had been cancelled in virtually all sports activities and no international coaching and competitors was potential for many of the Indian athletes.
The sports activities ministry bears the price of all international coaching and competitors, together with participation within the Olympics.
“Initially, sports activities was allotted ₹2826.92 in final yr’s finances which was later revised to ₹1800.15 in spite of everything sporting occasions the world over got here to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” a sports activities ministry official instructed PTI, hinting why comparability shouldn’t be made with the revised finances of final yr.
“There was hardly any exercise final yr as many of the nationwide camps had been closed due to the lockdown.
“By way of infrastructure growth and upgradation of stadiums too, there was hardly any progress due to the pandemic,” the official added, with out divulging additional particulars.
The federal government’s flagship Khelo India programme was handed the largest discount — of ₹232.71 crore — amongst all sports activities heads for the 2021-22 finances, introduced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday.
The monetary allocation in direction of Khelo India programme, which received ₹890.42 crore within the final finances, was lowered to ₹657.71 core.
The Sports activities Authority of India, whose allocation was lowered to ₹500 crore within the final finances, received a considerable hike this time with the federal government proposing a rise of ₹160.41 crore taking the full to ₹660.41 crore.
The SAI is the nodal organisation to handle nationals camps, present infrastructure, gear and different logistics to the nation’s sportspersons.
The allocation in direction of Nationwide Sports activities Federations (NSFs), which obtained a chilly shoulder within the final finances, was additionally hiked by ₹35 crore to ₹280 crore.
So far as incentives for sportspersons are involved, the finances has proposed to additional slash the quantity from ₹70 crore to ₹53 crore.
The finances for Nationwide Sports activities Growth Fund has additionally been halved to ₹25 crore.
The allocation for the 2010 Commonwealth Video games-SAI stadia renovation was additionally slashed to ₹30 crore from ₹75 final yr.
Nationwide Welfare Fund for Sportspersons will proceed to get the identical quantity of ₹2 crore as earlier, whereas, at ₹50 crore, there was additionally no change within the allocation for the enhancement of sports activities services in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Laxmi Bai Nationwide Institute of Bodily Training will proceed to get ₹55 crore, whereas contribution to the World Anti-Doping Company (WADA) has been elevated to ₹2.5 crore from ₹2 crore. PTI SSC PDS PM PM
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