Rekibuddin Ahmed

Guwahati, Dec. 9: The state-level advisory committee (SLAC) for student and youth welfare is close to unveiling a “robust and comprehensive action plan” to promote sport in the rural belt of the state.

The governing body of the chief minister Tarun Gogoi-headed committee, the schemes of which are channelised through the directorate of sport, intends to meet before the New Year to finalise the plans, according to its newly-appointed member-secretary Rekibuddin Ahmed.

Ahmed refused to reveal the details of the forthcoming governing body meeting.

However, he said senior officials were working to finalise the agenda, most of which will deal with promotion of sport in rural Assam.

Describing the meeting as a “brainstorming, the thrust area of which would be tapping and grooming sports talent in the rural belt,” Ahmed said the committee would “bear in mind that promotion of sports in urban sectors does not suffer at the cost of giving a push to sports in the countryside”.

According to Ahmed, Dispur has received Rs 1.5 crore under the Panchayat Yuva Krira aur Khel Abhiyan. He said if required, the committee could act as a catalyst to help in proper utilisation of the sum, which is allocated from this grant for student and youth welfare.