Tripura: Government sanctions Rs 50 crores for Sports Infrastructure, highest investment till date

With over ₹50 crores being spent in sports infrastructure development across Tripura under the financial assistance of the Centre and the state government, this is the highest ever investment in the sector in the history of the state claimed Tripura Youth Affairs and Sports minister Sushanta Chowdhury.

Briefing reporters regarding the various developmental activities in the sports infrastructure, Sports Minister Sushanta Chowdhury viewed that the upgraded sports sector shall not only provide world-class infrastructure to prepare the budding sportspersons for the big arena, but also help in keeping away the youths from the menace of drugs and other evils which are potential threats to the nation.

Chowdhury further added, “Under the central government’s Khelo India scheme and special assistance from the state government, over ₹50 crores is being utilized for developing a synthetic athletic turf, one swimming pool, and a synthetic hockey ground in the Dasarath Dev Sports Complex in Agartala. Besides 10 synthetic football turfs across eight districts of the state that will be included in the TTAADC area, 50 open air gymnasiums in different public playgrounds and spaces accessible to common people will also be developed.”

Tripura received ₹25 crores under the Khelo India scheme and other central assistance while the state government under special assistance funds provided another ₹25 crores to the sports department.

Accompanied by the department’s secretary and director the Minister informed that to develop the infrastructure of the Dasharath Dev Sports Complex, a separate proposal of ₹70 crores has been sent to the central government and "hopefully very soon the approval shall arrive as already the Sports Authority of India has inspected the sites," added the Minister. 

Sushanta said, “We want to bring out our talents hidden from the remotest corners of the state and prepare them in the world-class infrastructure and so we are preparing the sports infrastructure here which the previous Left Front government never prioritise. This will also help in keeping the youth away from the menace of drugs.”

He added that almost 90 percent of work on the construction of six synthetic turfs football ground is complete and very soon the union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur shall be in Tripura for the inuaguration.

The Minister also informed that as per the cabinet decision the government got the finance department’s approval for recruitment of 100 junior physical instructors and for starting the recruitment process advertisement shall be published next week.

The Minister claimed that robust sports infrastructure development is taking place in the state, and world-class facilities shall be available here soon. Also the sports budget has almost doubled to ₹12 crores during this government's tenure.