Sports ministry released Rs 6,801.30 crore under various sports development schemes in last 5 years

Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said his ministry has released a sum of Rs 6,801.30 crore under various sports development schemes in the last five years. Thakur, who took over from Kiren Rijiju as the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports earlier this year, said that Rs 7,072.28 was allocated to the ministry.

"During the last five years, a sum of Rs 7,072.28 crore was allocated and a sum of Rs 6,801.30 crore was released under the various sports development schemes of this Ministry," Thakur informed in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

Sports is a state subject and thus the responsibility to make sports accessible to the masses at the village level rests primarily with the State/Union Territory Governments with the Centre supplementing their efforts.


However, the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports runs the following schemes for the development of sports in the country, including at the village level: (i) Khelo India Scheme; (ii) Assistance to National Sports Federations; (iii) Special Awards to Winners in International Sports Events and their Coaches; (iv) National Sports Awards; (v) Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons; (vi) Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Sports Welfare Fund; (vii) National Sports Development Fund; and (viii) Running Sports Training Centres through Sports Authority of India. (SAI).

Funds are allocated scheme-wise, not State/UT-wise.