Govt to provide grants to financially weak local bodies: Manohar Lal Khattar

Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Monday that the government has never announced the release of Rs 15 crore to the municipal bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions but if any institutions needed financially help, the state government provided all possible help to them.

The Chief Minister said this while speaking during the first day of the Winter Session of the Vidhan Sabha. He was replying to a question by Bishan Lal regarding the release of funds to the financially weak municipal committees.

Khattar said the funds of the Central Finance Commission and State Finance Commission are provided to the Municipal Committees from time to time.

These committees also have self-income, if any institution remains financially weak after spending all these funds, the state government helps it as per the requirement.

The Chief Minister said at present the Radaur municipality still has an amount pending allocated by the Central Finance Commission and State Finance Commission. The municipality has a total balance of Rs 4 crore.

"First, this amount should be spent, after that the government will consider its demand."

Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala in response to a question regarding the construction of a four-lane road from Pipli to Yamunanagar said the government has requested the Central government to declare this route as a national highway.

"If the Central government is not able to make it under Bharatmala project, then by establishing a state highway, the state government will work to widen this route to four lanes," he said.

Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Sandeep Singh said the facility of astroturf ground for hockey is available in the Sports Complex of Sonipat.

He said there is a district-level stadium in Sonipat. In addition, there are four sub-divisional stadia, 16 Rajiv Gandhi Rural Sports Complexes and 19 mini and rural stadia.

Besides, 71 sports nurseries are being run in Sonipat, in which 41 are being run through private coaches and 30 through government coaches.

The government has laid special emphasis on promoting sports infrastructure in the state. At present, there are three state-level sports complexes, 21 district-level sports stadia, 25 sub-divisional stadia and 163 Rajiv Gandhi Rural Sports Complexes in the state.

Besides, 245 mini and rural stadia, nine swimming pools, nine multipurpose halls, 11 synthetic athletics tracks, 14 hockey astroturf and two artificial football turfs in the state.

A total of 238 coaches and 365 junior coaches are imparting training in sports across the state.

He said 1,100 sports nurseries have been started by the department to promote sports at the grassroots. Similarly, nine day-boarding and eight residential sports academies have also been opened in the state. A proposal is under process to appoint 202 coaches on contract.

He said in all district-level stadia, except Ambala, Charkhi Dadri, Kurukshetra, Nuh and Panchkula, facility centres have been constructed for the office of District Sports and Youth Programme Officer at an estimated cost of Rs 3 crore. The construction work is underway in Sonipat and Jhajjar.

Replying to a question, Home Minister Anil Vij said the acquisition of land for setting up the Julana police station is under process. The construction of police station building will start thereafter.