Kapdi further highlighted, “Various sports academies in the state, including the Champawat Girls Sports College and the Sports Development Fund, have received no budget allocation. This raises doubts about the government’s commitment to transforming ‘Dev Bhoomi’ into a ‘Khel Bhoomi’ (sports land) in the near future.”He emphasized that the dream of fostering a thriving sports culture in Uttarakhand seems increasingly distant.In his budget speech, Finance Minister Premchand Agarwal announced the establishment of a sports university in Haldwani. However, only a token amount of ₹1,000 crore has been allocated for the project at this time. Experts believe that this token allocation signifies that additional funding will be provided later. “It is uncertain when and how much supplementary funding will be released,” they noted. Until this funding is received, there will be no clarity or framework for the preparations regarding the sports university.In the recent budget allocation, a total of ₹250 crores has been earmarked for sports under both revenue and capital heads. This amount must cover departmental salaries and other expenses, in addition to the development of sports. Last year (2024-25), the department received over ₹500 crores for the National Games, marking a direct cut of ₹250 crores this time around. Furthermore, a proposal has been submitted for a budget of ₹864 crores for 2025-26.”This budget includes expenses for maintaining international-level sports facilities, establishing academies for various sports, constructing a women’s sports college in Champawat, setting up a sports university in Haldwani, and funding for sports development initiatives,” officials stated.Additionally, ₹16 crores were requested for the Emerging Fund to encourage new athletes, but only ₹10 crores have been allocated.
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