Guwahati, Aug 27: (IANS) The Assam government has decided to observe Bhogeswar Baruah’s birthday on September 3 as the Sports Day and announced to increase the pension for the sportspersons, sports organisers and technical personnel, officials said here on Friday.
Arjun awardee Baruah is the first Assamese to win a gold medal at an international event. He was the winner of the coveted medal in an 800-metre running event in the 1966 Asian Games.
A senior official of the Assam’s Sports and Youth Affairs Department said the state cabinet on Thursday at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma decided to increase the regular monthly sports pension from Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 for sportspersons, organisers and technical officials.
The cabinet also decided to provide a lifetime pension of Rs 10,000 per month to medal winners in national and international sports competitions. One time financial assistance of Rs 50,000 is to be given to medal winners who are in employment, the official said.
The government offered Lovlina Borgohain, the bronze medalist of Tokyo Olympics, the post of Deputy Superintendent of Police along with a reward of Rs 1 crore. (IANS)28
