Jai Ram misleading people, no sports tax to be imposed: Goma

Sports Minister Yadvinder Goma today said that Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur was misleading people by falsely claiming that the state government was planning to impose a tax on sports and sportspersons. He refuted Thakur’s allegations that the government had been collecting taxes from players and sports associations for the use of athletics tracks in Dharamsala and Bilaspur. “These claims are unfounded and politically motivated to malign the image of the Congress government,” he added.

Goma said that the Sports Department had not imposed any fee. “The fees set by the District Sports Councils for sports complexes and other related expenses are determined only after a thorough assessment of all relevant factors,” he added.

Goma said, “The fee for the use of the indoor stadium in Bilaspur was fixed way back in 2014 while the charges for the use the synthetic athletics track in Bilaspur were fixed in 2021. Currently, the charges for sports associations and government institutions for the use of these sports facilities are Rs 5,000 and for private institutions, these are Rs 10,000. The state government has not introduced any new charges.” The minister clarified that the fees were used for the up-keep and maintenance of the synthetic athletics tracks.

He said that the government was committed to safeguarding the interests of sportspersons. It had substantially enhanced the diet allowance for athletes participating in various competitions. He added, “The state government has increased the cash rewards for the medal winners in top international events like the Olympics, Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games. Due to these efforts, the athletes from the state are now showcasing their talents on international platforms and bringing laurels.”