New synthetic tracks at Nehru stadium at Rs 2.5 crore cost

Chennai, Aug 10 (UNI) Giving a fillip to sports infrastructure in the State, the Tamil Nadu Government will relay synthetic tracks at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore, besides coming out with a youth welfare policy.

Replying to the debate on the demand for grants for his department, Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports T P M Mohideen Khan said three indoor badminton courts at SAF village, Government Estate and Kancheepuram would be constructed at a cost of Rs 55 lakh.

He announced that the government would acquire world class athletics sports equipment at a cost of Rs 30 lakh for Madurai and Coimbatore, where work on laying a synthetic track was progressing.

Building synthetic tennis courts at Tirunelveli and Salem at a cost of Rs 14 lakh and a swimming pool at Krishnagiri were also in the pipeline, he added.

The new youth policy would inculcate multi-faceted skills among youth and would be the first of its kind in the country.

Mr Mohideen Khan also announced setting up of a Youth Resource Centres at Anna University campus in the city and in all districts.

Proposing a long term strategy for Tamil Nadu to make it a leading State in sports, he said the government would adopt a pyramidal hierarchy of sports activity that would have five different levels.

The lowest skill level would be termed Level-I and the pyramid would taper to the peak to Level five.

The government also decided to revive sports cum recreation centres and youth clubs, which were established during 2000-01.

'It is propsoed to revive and establish 5001 sports cum recreation centres including 3850 in village panchayats, 611 in town panchayats, 510 in the 102 municipalities and 30 in six corporation areas.

Sports equipment worth Rs 25,000 would be purchased for each Centre to involve rural youth in sports.

Youth clubs would be formed to monitor these centres and a committee headed by the District Collector would be constituted to establish the Sports-cum-recreation Centres and youth clubs.

UNI GV-AKN SRS HT1830