The sports department of the state government has decided to give Rs 15,000 as grants to all clubs in the state to mark the occasion of Khela Hobe Divas on 16 August, sources in the know, claimed.
The decision to give the clubs the grant comes on the heels of an announcement of a hefty Durga Puja bonanza of Rs 85,000 and Rs 1 lakh, next year, by the chief minister recently.
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The grants to clubs in the state were started in 2012 after the Trinamul Congress came to power in 2011.
The purpose of this grant to clubs, according to government sources, was to inculcate sporting activities among the boys and girls in every locality.
In 2012, the state first announced a grant of Rs 2 lakh for the clubs and for the next three years it gave Rs 1 lakh to mark the occasion of Khela Hobe Divas on 16 August. But, since many clubs did not submit funds utilization certificates, the grant was discontinued.
In 2023, the government had decided to discontinue the grants to the clubs but this year, as per sources, the government has decided to revisit its earlier decision on freeze and start afresh.
Sources in the know claimed that the state sports department has already circulated a directive asking all the 345 blocks, 119 municipalities and six corporations to take sporting activities to mark the occasion on 16th August.
