Uttar Pradesh has produced many great sportsmen and respects them. UP believes in retention of sportsmen and acknowledge their work by proving them with facilities to encourage their sport.
Akhilesh Yadav announces big cash awards, pensions and employment for award-winning sportspersons
The Uttar Pradesh government has unveiled a new sports policy which entails a number of steps aimed at benefitting sportspersons from the state. Recently Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav announced a monthly pension of Rs. 20,000 to each recipient of Dronacharya Award, Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award and Padma Awards.
The state government also proposed to directly recruit as gazetted officers sportsmen from the state who have won medals in international events. For this, 49 posts in different departments have been identified.
The policy would do away with discretion and create transparency in the provision of employment in the government sector through well-defined criteria for sportspersons who win medals in recognized international competitions, or for outstanding sportspersons of international repute who have represented India.
The new policy also creates incentives for the coaches and institutions that produce medal-winners.
The policy would also entail substantial increases in cash rewards for medal winners at international events, winners of government sports awards and assistance for institutions producing champions.
Akhilesh announced a hike in financial assistance to state level players from Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 per month and also ensured better facilities and improve sports infrastructure in the state.
National players will now get financial assistance of Rs 6,000, up from earlier Rs 3,000 per month. International players will now get enhanced assistance of Rs 10,000 per month from earlier Rs 5,000.
The Rani Lakshmibai award – Rs 50,000 cash, bronze statue of Rani Lakshmibai and a citation – for women sportspersons was awarded to Sudha Singh (athletics), Shradha Dixit (taekwando), Ranjana Gupta (shooting), Sthawi Asthana (horse riding), Indu Gupta (handball), Megha Saraswat (soft tennis) and veteran Olympian Razia Zaidi (hockey). Male sportspersons were given Laxman award.
The awardees are Devesh Kumar (gymnastics), Himanshu Tiwari (swimming), Chadraoday (athletics), Ravikant Mishra (tennis ball cricket), Ram Asrey Yadav (Judo), Anirudh Singh (shooting), Atul Shri Patel (soft tennis), Tushar Khandekar (hockey) and Ajit Kumar Singh (shooting).
The Uttar Pradesh government hiked the award money to be given to sportspersons from the state who win medals in the forthcoming Olympics. Gold medal winners will get Rs.6 crore, silver medal winners Rs.4 crore and those winning bronze medals Rs. 2 crore.
This will boost the morale of the youngsters and very soon Uttar Pradesh would turn into a sporting hub with international sporting facilities on a par with the best in the country.
Tags: Akhilesh Yadav, Awards, Chief Minister, Hockey, Lucknow, Sports, UP, Uttar Pradesh
