GUWAHATI, Dec 14 - Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government lacks the will to improve the sports infrastructure in the State. Despite Sarbananda Sonowal, an MP from Assam holding the sports portfolio for the past about one and a half years, no step was taken by the Centre for improving the sports infrastructure in the State, he said in a statement here.
The Central government led by Dr Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister, had spent Rs 400 crore for helping the State to hold the 33rd National Games. Sports infrastructure could be developed in Assam at that time with funds provided by the Central government. The present dispensation at the Centre should have extended an amount of over Rs 800 crore to hold an international event like the SAF Games, he said.
Sports infrastructure being developed in connection with the SAF Games, would have been of much help for the future generations in the State. But since the Central government lacks the goodwill to help the State make any headway in the area of sports, it is not willing to spend any amount on improvement of the sports infrastructure. It is limiting its responsibility only to the repair of the existing sport complexes of the State, said Gogoi.
The Union Sports Minister seems to be eager only to earn accolades simply by holding the SAF Games, he said.
