No discrimination with sportspersons, regular cash prize norm: Haryana minister tells Assembly

Chandigarh, Aug 27 (PTI) A Haryana minister on Wednesday said there has been no discrimination by the state in awarding cash prizes and government jobs to medal-winning sportspersons.

Minister of State for Sports Gaurav Gautam made the remark, replying to a Calling Attention Motion of Congress MLA Induraj Narwal on 'discrimination with medal-winning sportspersons of Haryana.' Gautam said that since 2014, 16,409 sportspersons had been given cash awards totalling Rs 641.08 crore.

He said the government has regularly awarded cash prizes to medal winners in the Olympics, Paralympics, Asian/Para Asian Games, and other championships in accordance with the state's policies.

He said that since 2013-14, the Haryana government has offered government jobs to 231 sportspersons, of whom 203 have already joined.

During the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government, Olympic medal winners were given Rs 5 crore for winning gold, Rs 3 crore for silver medal, and Rs 2 crore for bronze, while participants were given Rs 11 lakh, the sports minister said.

In comparison, the current BJP government has been awarding Rs 6 crore, Rs 4 crore, and Rs 2.5 crore to these medal winners, and Rs 15 lakh to the participants.

Guatam alleged that the opposition was trying to mislead the House about.

During the discussion, Congress's Narwal said that when Hooda was the chief minister of Haryana, the Congress government had introduced 'Padak Lao, Pad Pao,' and many DSPs and Inspectors were recruited in the police department.

However, the BJP government stopped that policy, he said.

Hooda asked Gautam how many deputy superintendents of police and inspectors were recruited during the BJP's time under the sports quota or its policy.

However, Assembly Speaker Harvinder Kalyan said that the query raised was not part of the Calling Attention motion and told the Minister he could share his response with the member separately later on. PTI SUN VN VN