Shillong, Oct 13: The Meghalaya government will spend Rs 1,000 crore on sports infrastructure in the next five years.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma promised this large sum in a speech yesterday when he laid the foundation stone for a new stadium in Rongjeng, East Garo Hills, which will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 9.25 crore.
In his speech, the CM compared the last five years of his government to the decades that had come before, saying that Meghalaya, since its inception in 1972 up to 2018 had spent Rs 400 crore on sports infrastructure, a figure that his government had matched in the five years from 2018 to 2023.
“In the next five years we plan to double our expenditure on sports infrastructure to Rs 1,000 crore,” he added.
The Rongjeng project encompasses a football ground and spectators’ gallery. As part of the government’s infrastructure dreams, it plans to lay artificial turf on 25 football grounds in the state and build indoor stadiums for other sports.
The CM also informed that the Meghalaya Games 2023 will be hosted by Tura this year, which will bring over 3,000 athletes from across the state together.
“Our sole focus is to create better infrastructure and ensure that our youth are given the platform to unleash their talents,” he stressed.
(Photo: Conrad K Sangma/Facebook)
