Guwahati, Oct. 22: The National Games Secretariat (NGS) has decided to approach Dispur once again for a fresh corpus before winding up its operations. These funds will be used to award cash incentives to medallists of the 33rd National Games by the end of this year.
With this move, the NGS hopes to save chief minister Tarun Gogoi any further embarrassment. Gogoi, after all, had promised such cash prizes on several occasions before the mega event.
Disclosing this to The Telegraph, an official said the sports and youth welfare department had earlier sought a budgetary allocation which was, however, not allowed in the last budget session of the Assembly. He said the department was expecting another opportunity in the next session early next month to submit a proposal for a supplementary demand.
“However, we are yet to receive any communication from Dispur,” the official said, adding that the NGS, which organised the National Games, would seek a supplementary demand through the department or for permission to disburse the sponsorship money (which it had raised for hosting the event) among the medallists.
The fund required for the cash incentives is around Rs 3.87 crore. The NGS had raised over Rs 4 crore as sponsorship for the mega event, held in February this year. Assam picked up a total of 148 medals, comprising 38 gold, 53 silver and 57 bronze, to finish third in the overall medals tally.
NGS secretary-general (in charge of organising the event) V.S. Bhaskar had earlier placed a proposal for awarding the players prizes with the funds collected from the sponsors. However, Gogoi had shot down the proposal, stating that the fund would be invested for another purpose. He had hinted at the creation of the Sports Authority of Assam for ensuring maintenance of the new infrastructure.
“If the medallists are not awarded cash prizes, it will be embarrassing for the government as well as the Assam Olympic Association. After all, the chief minister had himself announced it on several occasions from different platforms. He had also promised to award the medallists immediately after the Games,” the official said.
Gogoi’s position is going to be even more embarrassing since a private construction firm based in the city is planning to award cash incentives in the next couple of weeks.
Garima Construction Pvt. Ltd, which announced cash incentives worth Rs 51,000 for each gold medallist, Rs 21,000 per head for silver and Rs 10,000 for every bronze medal winner, is planning to distribute a total amount of Rs 27 lakh among medallists from the state over the next couple of weeks.
