Patiala, October 25: Chief Minister Amarinder Singh digitally laid the foundation stone of Punjab's first dedicated sports university and various other development projects in Patiala on the occasion of Dussehra on Sunday. The Maharaja Bhupinder Singh Sports University will be developed at Rs 500 crore, of which Rs 60 crore will be invested in the initial phase for the development of academic and administrative blocks and hostels on the campus, according to a government statement.

The chief minister recalled the contribution of his grandfather Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, whose 129th birth anniversary falls on Sunday. The university is being established in his memory. Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh to Centre: 'Firms Will Go Bankrupt if They Are Forced to Pay Full Salaries And Avoid Pay Cuts in These Times'.

The university will help in the scientific development of sportspersons, Singh said, adding that he wanted to see Punjab develop as a sports hub and its sportsmen and coaches equipped with scientific knowledge. He thanked the panchayat and people of Sidhuwal who contributed land free of cost for the sports university.

The residents of Sidhuwal had earlier donated land for a law university and have also offered another 100 kilas (acres) for other projects, the chief minister said, announcing a Rs 50-lakh grant for the village.

Singh expressed hope that staff and students will be able to move into the campus by 2022. They will benefit immensely from the university's multiple courses, many of which are adopted from UK's Loughborough University, he said.

He assured that despite the COVID-19 crisis, his government will provide more funds to the university for speedy completion of the construction work. Singh also extended Dussehra greetings to the people of Patiala, who, he said, "suffered a lot" due to the coronavirus infection. He urged them to take all precautions amid projections of a spike in cases in November-December.

Other development projects which were launched included surface water-based water supply for Patiala city (Rs 503 crore), the development of a heritage street near Qila Mubarak (Rs 43 crore), and a new bus stand on Rajpura Road (Rs 65 crore).