Chandigarh, Apr 21 (PTI) In a bid to encourage aspiring players of the state, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Friday felicitated 147 national sports medallists with cash rewards totalling to Rs 5.43 crore.
Presiding over a function here, the chief minister said gold medallists were felicitated with Rs 5 lakh each, while silver and bronze medallists got Rs 3 lakh and Rs 2 lakh each. He claimed that Punjab has now become the first state in the country to felicitate its sportspersons who have won at the national level.
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"It is a humble initiative of our government to recognise the spectacular feat of all the players who brought laurels to the state," he said while interacting with the players.
Mann said the initiative was aimed at encouraging the aspiring players to excel in sports and keep the youth away from the clutches of the drug menace.
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"The basic motive is to channelise the unbounded energy of the youth in a positive direction thereby making them an equal partner in the socio-economic growth of the state", Mann added.
Announcing Rs 16,000 monthly stipend for sportspersons under the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior scholarship scheme, the chief minister said it was yet another step of the Punjab government to boost the morale of young players.
Mann also said that the Punjab government had readied a blueprint to give a major fillip to sports in the state. He said a new sports policy focusing on maximum podium finishes during Olympics and other international events will be implemented soon.
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