Odisha govt hikes sports budget to Rs 911 crore to amp up infrastructure

With an aim to give a fillip to the sports sector in the state, the Odisha government enhanced its sports budget to Rs 911 crore in the annual budget of 2022-23.

The announcement was made on the first day of the Budget session of the state Assembly on Saturday.

The state budget for the sports sector in FY 2021-22 was Rs 405 crore.

Under this Rs 911 crore sports budget, an amount of Rs 719 crore is provided for the development of sports and youth services and other sports infrastructure in the state.

The state government also provided an amount of Rs 115 crore for the promotion of sports education and Rs 11 crore for the state's support to Khelo India. Around Rs 59 crore has been allocated for administrative expenditures.

According to an official statement, sports has been one of the priority sectors for the Odisha government over the last decade. The state government has invested significantly in sports between 2010-11 and 2021-22, starting with the sports budget of Rs 28 crores in 2010-11 to Rs 301 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 405 crore in 2021-22 with a major portion dedicated to infrastructure development and hosting major events.