Shillong, Jan 23: The NPP-led MDA government has spent over Rs 1000 crore on sports infrastructure during the past seven years.
“Rs 1000 crore was spent on sports infrastructure since 2018,” Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma told reporters on Wednesday.
He said Rs 2 crore of total grant value was provided to state sports associations each year adding Rs 50 crore plus was also spent each year on sports events, including legacy infrastructure adding that Rs 8 crore plus was also collectively disbursed as cash incentives.
So far, 300 plus sport infrastructure across the state are being created. A total of 10 national and international events have been hosted by the state since 2022. Over 2500 plus got employment through such events every year.
Referring to the previous years before MDA govt took over, the CM said there were less than Rs 100 crore sanctioned for sports infrastructure projects and there were negligible grants given to the state sports association.
“There were no talent identification/training programs funded by the government,” he said while adding that whereas at present, there was over 24500 talent ID program participation.
According to him, the once international event that took place in the state was the South Asian Games in 2016.
Further, the CM informed that the government is coming up with a 40,000 capacity football stadium at a cost of over Rs 400 crore at Mawkhanu by 2028. The football stadium will be the largest in the country. “We will also come up with the Mawdiangdiang sports complex, which will have the aquatics complex and lawn tennis complex (to be constructed at Rs 150 crore),” he said.
Also, the CM informed that over Rs 6 crore is being disbursed to 3500 plus athletes and coaches under the Cash Awards Scheme and over Rs 2.5 crore was disbursed to nearly 350 athletes under the Sports Scholarship Scheme.
