Around 200 national players from different sports began an indefinite hunger strike on Saturday under the banner of Bihar Players' Association demanding jobs under the Mukhya Mantri Khel Vikas Yojana.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar had launched the scheme in 2009. The players alleged that no appointment had taken place under the scheme after 2012.

Pawan Kumar (39), a national-level carom player from Muzaffarpur, who represented Bihar in the 44th National Games in Pune in 2015, said: "This is the last year I will get an opportunity before I cross the age limit. It is sad that the Bihar government does not value sportsmen. In Punjab and Haryana, sportsmen are rewarded and they get jobs."

Sitting on a hunger strike at Moin-ul-Haq Stadium, another sportsperson, Sanjay Kumar (25) of Gaya, who represented the state in the 35th National Games in Kerala in gymnastics in 2015, echoed Pawan. "We work hard to bring laurels and pride to the state. So it's the state's duty to show proper respect to sportsmen. We come from poor families and train without proper infrastructure. However, we strive hard to earn our livelihood. It seems the state government has turned deaf to sportspersons's woes," Sanjay said.

Another player, Saket Kumar (27), who represented Bihar in the Under-19 and the Under-22 cricket tournaments apart from the Vizzy Trophy in 2009 said the government must come out with fresh appointments. "It is high time that state government does something for the players. I am wondering why officials cannot publish fresh vacancies," said Yadav. #Leading the hunger strike, association president and JD leader Mritunjay Tiwari said he will continue the agitation until the demands are met. "After 2012, no appointment has taken place, I have staged protests and agitations but the state government is sitting idle. I decided to call for an indefinite hunger strike. In 2015, the last advertisement had come out and by April 2016, the appointment should have been made but nothing happened except forming a committee and a sub-committee," Tiwari said.

Tiwari said the committee comprises Chaitanya Prasad, principal secretary art, culture and youth affairs, Arvind Pandey, director-general of Bihar State Sports Authority and Dharmendra Singh Gangwar, principal secretary, general administration department. Tiwari also claimed that officers are not at all serious about the future of sportsmen in Bihar and there was an urgent need of Nitish's intervention. On sitting on dharna against its own government, Tiwari said first he was a sportsperson and then a politician. told The Telegraph that the association has raised a genuine demand.

"The demands are genuine. The general administration department is looking into the matter. The demands will be fulfilled. It is a matter of time, we want to give jobs to the sportsmen of Bihar."