Sports minister Kiren Rijiju says Rs 13.73 crore released till date for para-sportspersons under Khelo India Scheme

New Delhi:,The government has released Rs 13.73 crore for the disabled sportspersons till date under the Khelo India Scheme, sports minister Kiren Rijiju told the Rajya Sabha on Monday. Despite sports being a ‘state subject’ under the Indian Constitution, the union government has been allocating funds scheme-wise since 2016-17, Rijiju said in a written reply. “Funds are allocated by the Union Government Scheme-wise, not State/Union Territory-wise. Under one of the verticals of the Khelo India Scheme, namely Promotion of sports among persons with disabilities’ funds to the tune of ? 13.73 crore have been released till date for promotion of sports among disabled sportspersons,” Rijiju said. More than 20 para-sportspersons have so far qualified for the Tokyo Paralympics to be held from 25 August to 6 September. Many of these para-sportspersons are under the central government’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme. “Sports being a State subject, the responsibility of development of sports, including promotion of sports competitions for divyang persons, rests with State/Union Territory Governments. Central Government supplements their efforts by bridging critical gaps,” the minister said. “However, the Union Government has started a Central Sector Scheme, namely, Khelo India Scheme in the year 2016-17 and revamped it further with twelve verticals in 2017-18.”