India's Sports Ministry has received a Rs 45 crore boost and has been allocated 3,442.32 crore in the interim Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The Ministry has got a 45 crore hike from the previous revised allocation of 3,396.96 crore. The Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha has called it a "positive step towards nurturing talent from the grassroots level and creating a robust sports ecosystem in the country."
As per the Budget presented, the national flagship programme Khelo India has got a hike of Rs 20 crore and has been allocated Rs 900 crore. The Sports Authority of India has got a shot in the arm with a rise of Rs 26.
83 crore from last year's 795.77 crore revised expenditure.
The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) have also got hikes with NADA getting Rs 22.30 crore in the latest Budget, a 0.57 core hike from the previous year. NDTL's budget has been increased to Rs 22 crore which is a 2.5 crore increase. The National Sports Federations (NSFs) will also be receiving a heavy sum in the interim Budget with the Federation now getting 340 crore, 15 crore more than last year.
Notably, the Budget allocation for the National Centre of Sports Science and Research, National Sports Development Fund, 'Enhancement of Sports Facility in Jammu and Kashmir' and Commonwealth Games was cut short. The National Centre of Sports Science and Research's budget has been brought down to Rs 8 crore from Rs 10, the budget for National Sports Development Fund was brought down to Rs 18 from Rs 46 crore, the 'Enhancement of Sports Facility in Jammu and Kashmir' budget was reduced to 8 crore from 20 crore and allocation for Commonwealth Games was brought down to 0.01 crore from 15 crore.
Also, the budget to give incentives to sportspersons was cut short to Rs 39 crore from Rs 84 crore. The interim Union Budget also saw the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Welfare for Sportspersons scheme getting Rs 2 crore.
IOA chief PT Usha calls interim Budget 'positive step'
The Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha also opened on the Budget. She called it a positive step for building talent at the grassroots level. "In this Olympic year, the positive aspect is the increased support for athlete training programmes. With enhanced funding, our athletes can access better coaching, sports science support, and other essential resources, ultimately improving their performance on the global stage," Usha told PTI.
"This is a positive step towards nurturing talent from the grassroots level and creating a robust sports ecosystem in the country. It will also help in talent identification at the grassroots level through Khelo India programmes. Financial backing is crucial for athletes to focus on their training without concerns about resources," she said.
"I believe that with collaborative efforts between the government, sports organizations, and the public, we can achieve greater heights in the world of sports," she concluded.
