Badal confers awards to 67 sportspersons

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today launched a major initiative to provide job security to the outstanding players of the state by setting aside 125 jobs every year exclusively for national and international players.
Addressing the players in a glittering function organised to confer the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award, Badal recalled that he thought of introducing this award after seeing the deplorable condition of a former Olympic player.
Horrified by his condition he announced Rs 1 lakh award for maximum 15 players annually with the social security set-up.
Badal said today that while giving away prizes to the players he noticed that most of the players were looking for job security and he has agreed to the proposal of Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister, Punjab to set aside 125 jobs in different categories for the players and asked his son to submit the proposal in the next cabinet meeting.

Advising players not to leave sports after joining service, Badal said that they should dedicate the first five years of their service to promote their games and nurture talent in the villages.
He also requested veteran players to adopt at least one village for promotion of sports for which the state government would provide total support.

Badal said that for the first time in his 60-year-old political career he has witnessed such transformation of sports departments in the state.
He said that the way the deputy chief minister has brought Kabaddi on the world forum, it has sent positive vibes all over the globe.

Asking sports officials to properly monitor the implementation of government schemes, Badal said that he would expect that every official goes to the field to supervise the implementation of the schemes and directed the sports department to work out a plan for constant maintenance of sports infrastructure.
Badal said that he also deserved a Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award in the 'game of politics' for being the chief minister of Punjab for five terms.