Journalism of Courage
The sports policy also addresses issues that have affected the sports culture of the city. The PMC has decided not to use sports infrastructure of the civic body for any other purpose. The PMC is equally responsible for the decline in sports spirit of the city. The sports facility established by the PMC are used for other purposes as well. If the situation remains like this,no one will give importance to sports, said Avinash Bagwe,chairperson of sports committee.
The policy mentions that any facility,building,structure or complex set up for sports should not be used for cultural or political functions. Bagwe said it has been observed that stadiums are used for fashion shows or cultural festivals and this discourages sportspersons from using the facility.
Similarly,in its DP,the PMC has reserved spaces for sports facilities which include playgrounds,stadiums,gymnasium and swimming pools. There have been instances when the land reserved for playground or any other sports facility is used for other purposes,mainly for gardens,which is wrong, said Bagwe.
There are some plots for plagrounds in Sahakarnagar and Kothrud that have been used for developing garden,he said. Citizens oppose the reservation of playground in their vicinity,saying it will lead to noise in the area. But they fail to understand that they are creating problems for the next generation.
While planning for sports academies,PMC also plans to make infrastructure and facility available to organisations that have experience in the field. The provision of non-residential sports academy along with residential sports academy has also been proposed in the policy. It will also enable PMC to hold sports events from local to international levels in association with sports organisations.
The PMC has also proposed cash rewards for successful sportsmen while deciding to take care of sportsmen who suffer injuries or illness. The PMC has health scheme for urban poor wherein the eligibility is maximum earning of Rs 1 lakh per year,but the same is relaxed for sportsmen with a maximum earning of Rs 2 lakh per annum.
