SHILLONG: Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Zenith M Sangma said the approval of the National Youth Policy, 2014 by the Centre recently has led to a slight delay in the finalization of the State Youth Policy.
“We were in the process for finalization of the policy,” Sangma said while replying to a question raised by NPP legislator James K Sangma in the Assembly here on Wednesday.
The Sports Minister said that the department is currently examining the National Youth Policy.
“We would like to incorporate all the important points of the National Policy into the State Youth Policy to further improve it,” Sangma said.
The Sports and Youth Affairs Minister also informed that the government would try to complete the whole exercise at the earliest to allow the State to have a comprehensive youth policy of its own.
Sports Policy by September
While replying to another question raised by the NPP legislator, Sangma informed that the department is targeting to come up with its own Sports Policy by September.
Informing that the policy was conceptualized in 2010, he said that the department will write to various Deputy Commissioners to hold workshops and discussions on the policy to enable the stakeholders to put in their views and opinions. The exercise is targeted to be completed within three months.
“We would also be circulating the draft of the policy to the elected representatives to give their views and opinions. We would request the legislators to submit their views within two months time,” he said.
The Sports and Youth Affairs Minister informed that the draft policy would be then uploaded in the official website.
“We would give the various stakeholders the final opportunity to give views and suggestion before they table to the Cabinet for its final approval,” Sangma added.