New Delhi: The outlay for Annual Budget 2021-22 of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is Rs. 2596.14 crores, as against the outlay of Rs. 1800.15 crore approved for the revised Budget Plan 2020-21. The Union budget of 2021-22 has allocated Rs 1960.14 crore to the Department of Sports. There is a major boost to the budget allocated to the Sports Authority of India, which is the nodal agency responsible for providing financial support to elite athletes preparing for the Tokyo Olympics scheduled in July 2021. A budgetary increase in the National Sports Federations (NSFs) will also assist further in supporting the Olympic preparation of Indian athletes.
Briefing the media about the budget, Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Kiren Rijiju, said, “This is the Olympic year and Olympic preparation is the major thrust of the Government right now. The big boost in SAI and NSFs budget will ensure that there is no shortage of funds and Olympic preparation is on in full swing. We are preparing in the best way possible.” Rijiju added that whatever is required by the athletes or any federation for the training of players will be provided and there is no crisis of funds. “There is no pending any kind of demand made by the athletes or federations. Sports Ministry is not facing any type of financial crunch. If we feel any requirement, a revised estimate is always there”, the Minister explained.
SAI has been allocated Rs 660.41 crores, a 32.08 per cent rise in the allocated budget as compared to the Budget Estimate of 2020-21. Secretary Department of Sports, Ravi Mittal said that the substantial increase will lead to higher spends in the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition, which is used to fund the training of athletes. Mittal further said that the NSFs have received an allocation of Rs 280 crore, with a hike of 14.28 per cent over the budget estimate of 2020-21.
Mittal added that the budget for the government’s flagship Khelo India programme has also seen a 72.04 per cent increase in the budget estimate as compared to the revised estimate for the year current year. Last year, the Khelo India budget could not be used for infrastructure development or coaching camps owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Secretary of the Department of Youth Affairs, Ms Usha Sharma said, “Our programmes will grow and they will be presented in the new form with better synergy with the Department of Sports. Presentation and implementation of programmes would be more vibrant where we would be mobilizing the community and motivating them to join the platform of volunteers. In the guidance of YAS Minister, we have set a target of one crore youth volunteers. We are soon going to launch a massive campaign for this.”
