Aiyar rules out shifting of NIS from Punjab

Patiala, July 17 (UNI) Union Sports Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar today put a full stop to Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh's proposal to relocate NIS from Patiala to Bangalore.

Talking to mediapersons here after inaugurating the two-day conference on empowerment of rural women, he said that there was no proposal to shift Netaji Subash National Institute of Sports from Patiala to another place. He said that Sports Authority of India (SAI) had been using this Institute and its premises in the best possible manner.

Capt Singh had last year floated the proposal of setting up a Defence University and had chosen the NSNIS for this project. In the proposal he had suggested shifting the Institute to Bangalore or any other South Indian city.

Indicating that he was not satisfied with the facilities at the Institute, Mr Aiyar said that as a sports minister he wanted to do more for the Institute.

He disclosed that the he had asked his Ministry to prepare a plan for setting up a Panchyat Yuva Sports Department. He said that this department will be responsible for providing and maintaining the playgrounds in villages and Nehru Yuva Kendra will also give help to this programme.

UNI XC-HS DH KN1747