• Abhijit Nath, NET Correspondent, Tripura 

Agartala, August 11, 2022 : Tripura Youth Affairs and Sports minister – Sushanta Chowdhury on Thursday said that the central and state governments had sanctioned more than Rs 50 crore for robust infrastructural development of the sports sector in the history of this state after attaining statehood in 1972.

Addressing a press conference at Civil Secretariat here in Agartala city on Thursday afternoon, Chowdhury said that the Youth and Sports Affairs department of Tripura has received a massive push in terms of infrastructural development across the state with an aim to provide international-level facilities to the boys and girls in practicing different sports activities.

“Under the ‘Khelo India’ scheme of the central government, Rs 5 crore has been spent for football synthetic turf at Chandrapur under Gomati district. Another Rs 7 crore is to be spent for an athlete synthetic turf at Dasarath Deb State Sports Complex in Badharghat under West Tripura district and 65 percent of the work is completed. More Rs 5 crore will be spent for football synthetic turf at Khowai government school ground under Khowai district. Rs 5 crore is being spent for a swimming pool at the premises of Regional College for Physical Education at Panisagar under North Tripura district and 90 percent of the work is completed,” he added.

Sports minister said “Tripura government has proposed a detailed project report worth Rs 70 crore to develop the infrastructure of Dasarath Deb State Sports Complex here in Agartala as an international level stadium to the central government. We are hopeful that the union government’s concerned ministry will extend support. Apart from this, officials from the Sports Authority of India visited Tripura recently, inspected different locations in eight districts and submitted a report for opening of multipurpose indoor halls in each district. An amount of Rs 4.5 crore to be spent for each hall”.

Addressing the mediapersons, Chowdhury asserted that “Under the special assistance, Tripura government has awarded Rs 20 crore to the Youth Affairs and Sports department. Out of this sanctioned amount, an amount of Rs 5 crore to be spent for construction of football synthetic turf each at Umakanta Mini-Stadium here in Agartala city, Sachindranagar Colony under Jirania sub-division, Tulakona under Mohanpur sub-division in West Tripura district and another at Belonia Government School ground under South Tripura district.”

Apart from this, Tripura’s Youth and Sports Affairs minister Sushanta Chowdhury met with union Sports minister Anurag Singh Thakur at New Delhi recently and a sum of Rs 17.5 crore has been sanctioned for the development of sports infrastructure in the landlocked state of north eastern region of India.

“This sanctioned fund will be used for construction of synthetic turf to play hockey at Dasarath Deb State Sports Complex, synthetic turf to play football at Jampuijala under Sepahijala district, synthetic turf for athletes at Panisagar under North Tripura district spending Rs 7 crore,” he added.

Minister said that the state will have an advanced infrastructural growth in the sports sector in the next few years and this is for the first time in the history of Tripura that the budgetary allocations have been hiked from Rs 7.5 crore to Rs 12 crore. He also said “Under the North Eastern Council, a 100-bed hostel at RIPI at Panisagar spending Rs 4.64 crore is on the edge of completion. In total, 100 junior Physical Instructors will be appointed and advertisement will be issued in 5 to 7 days.”

At last, Chowdhury said “As part of ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign, the Youth and Sports Affairs department took initiative to felicitate players in different fields from 8 districts and families of the martyrs in the recent times will be honoured.