Unfair play

THE timing couldn’t have been worse. A controversy has erupted over the allocation of funds to the states for the development of sports infrastructure under the Centre’s Khelo India Scheme, even as Indian players are battling it out to win medals in the Paris Olympics. The Congress-led Opposition and a section of the sports fraternity have accused the Centre of discriminating with states such as Haryana and Punjab. Haryana, which accounts for one-fifth of the athletes in the Indian contingent, has been allocated Rs 66.6 crore under the scheme, while Gujarat, which has sent only a couple of players to the Games, has got
Rs 426 crore; Uttar Pradesh has received Rs 438 crore, though only six athletes from the state are representing the country in Paris. The share of Punjab, which has a dominant presence in the Indian men’s hockey team, is Rs 78 crore.
The ‘Khelo India — National Programme for Development of Sports’ was launched in 2016-17 with the twin objectives of mass participation and promotion of excellence across the country. The creation and upgradation of sports infrastructure are central to this ambitious programme, which the government claims is spurring sportspersons to raise the bar in national and international events. However, with some states performing better than others in terms of producing national/international-level players, the funding should be proportionate to the sporting success, something on the lines of the production-linked incentive schemes for the industry.
The Centre needs to spell out the criteria for the allocation of funds. Is it based on the geographical area and population of the respective states or are there other considerations? In any case, a thorough review of the scheme is a must to address disparities. At the same time, it is imperative to monitor the use of funds by various states to ensure that corruption and red tape don’t defeat the very purpose of Khelo India.