The Youth Services and Sports Minister, Yadvinder Goma today here said that the Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur is misleading the public regarding the so-called sportsperson tax scheme in the state. He categorically refuted the allegations that the government has been collecting taxes from players or sports associations at the Athletic Tracks in Dharamshala and Bilaspur. He said that these claims are entirely unfounded and deceptive and only politically motivated to malign the image of present state government.
Yadvinder Goma reiterated that no fees of any kind have been imposed by the department. The fees set by the District Sports Council for sports complexes and other related expenses are determined only after a thorough assessment of all relevant factors. He said that the rates for the use of Indoor Stadium in Bilaspur was fixed back in 2014 while the rates for the Synthetic Athletic track in Bilaspur was set in 2021. At present the charges for sports associations and government institutions for using these sports facilities are Rs. 5 thousand and Rs. 10 Thousand for the private institutions. No new charges have been introduced by the state government.
The Minister further clarified that the above fees was for the up-keep and maintenance of the synthetic athletic track. He reaffirmed the state government is committed to safeguard the interest of the emerging and budding sports talent of the state and working to provide them with modern amenities and adequate support infrastructure within the state. He further highlighted that the government is determined to establish Himachal Pradesh as a hub for sports excellence and is ensuring that sports talents receive appropriate platforms and opportunities to excel.
As an evidence of this commitment, the diet allowance for athletes participating in various competitions has been increased: from Rs. 240 to Rs. 400 for state-level competitions, Rs. 300 for district-level and Rs. 240 for block-level events. For competitions held outside the state, the diet allowance has been raised to Rs. 500, alongside travel facilities for participating athletes has also been enhanced.
He said that the winners of Olympics, winter Olympics and Paralympics would get rupees five crore, rupees three crore and rupees two crore for Gold, Silver and Bronze medals respectively. Additionally, the gold medallists in Asian and Para-Asian games would receive Rs. 4 crore, Rs. 2.5 crore and Rs. 1.5 crore respectively for Gold, Silver and Bronze medals.
Shri Goma pointed out that due to these efforts the athletes of the state are now showcasing their talent on international platforms and bringing laurels to the State. He said that the people of the state are well aware of the leader of the Opposition’s futile attempts to attract attention through baseless accusations, aimed merely at gaining media coverage and to be in limelight somehow.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
