The government’s focus is once again on its flagship event Khelo India, for which more than one thousand crore rupees have been allocated.
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Apart from income tax exemption, expensive and cheap goods, new schemes, the central budget also keeps an eye on the funds received for the preparations for sports in the country. Especially at a time when Indian athletes have to participate in the world’s biggest tournaments in the next few months. In such a situation, the central government has decided to ensure that the economic situation does not become a hindrance in the preparations of the players. budget 2023 I have increased more than seven hundred crore rupees. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the budget in Parliament on Wednesday, February 1, in which it has been announced to release Rs 3397.32 crore to the Sports Ministry.
According to the report of the news agency PTI, the amount received in the new budget is Rs 723.97 crore more than the budget received by the Sports Ministry from the government in the last financial year. The major reason behind the increased budget is the Asian Games to be held in China this year and the Olympic Games to be held in Paris next year, for whose preparations players are often sent to foreign training.
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Allocation was reduced last year
In the budget released a year ago, the allocation for the Sports Ministry was Rs 3,062.60 crore. However, the ministry finally got only Rs 2,673.35 crore in the revised budget. One of the main reasons for this reduction is considered to be the postponement of the proposed Asian Games in China, which will now be held in China in August-September this year. In such a situation, the allocation has also been increased this year.
Most blessings to Khelo India
Once again the highest budget is for the government’s flagship sporting event, Khelo India. Khelo India – the national program for the development of sports remains the priority of the government, it has been allocated Rs 1,045 crore as against the revised allocation of Rs 606 crore during the last financial year. There is an increase of Rs 439 crore in this.
In addition to this, an increase of Rs 36.09 crore in the budgetary allocation for the Sports Authority of India (SAI), responsible for organizing national camps for players, providing camp infrastructure and equipment, appointing coaches and maintaining sports infrastructure has been done. His allocation for the year 2023-24 is Rs 785.52 crore as against last year’s revised expenditure of Rs 749.43 crore.
An edge for sports federations, NADA as well
National Sports Federations (NSFs) have received an increased allocation of Rs 45 crore from last year’s revised budget of Rs 280 crore and will now get Rs 325 crore. The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) and the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL), affiliated to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), earlier received funds through SAI, but now these organizations will receive their funds directly. In this year’s budget, there is a provision of providing Rs 21.73 crore to NADA, while NDTL, which conducts dope tests, will get Rs 19.50 crore.
Countries around the world are striving for sporting excellence and paying more attention to sports science and scientific training of players. In such a situation, a provision of Rs 13 crore has also been made for the National Sports Science and Research Center in this year’s budget.
