SHILLONG: The cost of preparing just a draft sports policy by IIM Shillong is a whopping Rs 21 lakh.
In reply to a question by Ardent Basaiawmoit (HSPDP), Sports Minister Zenith Sangma said in the Assembly on Wednesday that the new draft state sports policy outline has been completed and submitted to the Sports department by IIM Shillong and the expenditure incurred was Rs 21 lakh.
To supplementary questions, Sangma said an attempt was made in 2008 to prepare the sports policy, and the draft was circulated, but the inputs received were not substantial.
In 2011 too, the State government constituted a state resource group headed by the Chairman of the State Olympics Association, but the exercise went in vain as the inputs provided by the state resource group were not adequate, he said. “We had also sought response from different sports associations, but there was no feedback,” the minister said.
Later, the intervention of IIM Shillong was sought to prepare the draft sports policy following which the outline of the sports policy was provided by the institute, he said.
The Sports minister said preparation of the draft sports policy was a lengthy exercise as lot of views had to be collected.
He said since the outline has been completed, the next step is to get the views from the Sports department.
After the completion of the draft sports policy within four months, this will be placed in public domain giving a time of three months for public opinion, the minister said.
Following this, a consultative workshop will be held and subsequently, the cabinet will finalize the policy, he added.
