Ensure sufficient utilisation of funds for athletes coaching for Asian Games, Olympics: Parliamentary panel

The elevated budgetary allocation for monetary yr 2023-24 needs to be utilised “adequately” and “judiciously” by the sports activities ministry for the coaching of athletes for the Asian Games this yr and 2024 Olympics, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Youth Affairs and Sports has mentioned.

The authorities has enhanced the budgetary allocation to the sports activities ministry for 2023-24 by 22.08 p.c as in comparison with the revised estimate allocation for the earlier monetary yr, primarily due to the upcoming two mega multi-discipline occasions.

In its report, the committee noticed that, “the most important share of the whole budgetary allocation in BE (price range estimates) 2023-24 of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is for the Department of Sports, i.e. 72.49%, whereas it’s 27.51% for the Department of Youth Affairs.

“The committee, therefore, recommends that this increase in funds should be adequately and judiciously utilised by the department for the training of sportspersons participating in the Asian Games in Hangzhou in China, upcoming Paris Olympic Games and Para Olympics in 2024.” The panel additionally famous that with the budgetary parts of Khelo India programme and Sports Authority of India (SAI) constituting vital quantity of the whole price range of the division of sports activities, it was necessary to have a separate ‘demand head’ for higher administrative management and choice making.

Khelo India has been allotted Rs. 1,000 crores and SAI Rs. 785.52 crore on the BE stage for the present monetary yr, totalling to Rs. 1785.52 crore.

The two parts quantity to 72.50% of the whole budgetary allocation of Rs. 2462.59 crore for the sports activities division.

“The committee is of the opinion that with a view to have higher implementation of the programmes/schemes of the division of sports activities with higher administrative management and choice making over these points, there’s a must have a separate demand head.

“This way it can place its achievements in a better way before the Ministry of Finance for enhanced allocation of budget in future. The committee recommends that the Department of Sports should pursue with the Ministry of Finance to create a separate Demand Head for it,” really helpful the panel.

The committee additionally really helpful that the sports activities division ought to additional strengthen its monitoring mechanism “so that gainful and optimum utilisation of funds is ensured”.

The panel additionally really helpful prioritisation and utilisation of funds in flagship schemes resembling Khelo India and Sports University in North East Region and in addition take away bottlenecks within the utilisation of funds. It famous that Khelo India is without doubt one of the most necessary schemes for promotion of sports activities within the nation and efforts needs to be made to widen its horizon, including that the panel needs to be apprised of infrastructure growth for the 2 tasks.