MPLADS Funds to be Available for PYKKA and USIS move to give fillip to creation of sports facilities under PYKKA and USIS

Union Minister of State (I/C), for Youth Affairs & Sports, Shri Ajay Maken today informed that MPs across the country could use their Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) funds for augmenting and creating adequate sports infrastructure in their constituencies under the PYKKA and USIS schemes of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. For addressing the problem of lack of adequate sports facilities in the country, the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has introduced the Scheme of Panchayat Yuva Krida aur Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA) in 2008-09 for creation and development of basic sports facilities in all village and block panchayats of the country in a phased manner and the Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme (USIS) in 2010-11 for creation/development of sports infrastructure in urban areas. Both the schemes have been received well.

Under PYKKA, grant of Rs.1 lakh and Rs.5 lakh is provided for creation of play fields in village panchayats and block panchayats respectively. Under USIS, the level of assistance is about Rs.5.00 – 6.00 crore for creation of multipurpose halls, athletic tracks, football, hockey turfs etc.

It was felt by many MPs that that the levels of financial assistance under the Schemes of PYKKA and USIS are not adequate for creating sufficient number of sports facilities in the country. For addressing this problem with the objective of augmenting the availability of funds for creation and development of sports facilities, the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports had been actively pursuing with the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation for allowing convergence with Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS).

With this convergence, it would be possible to use funds from MPLADS for PYKKA with the objective of creating more durable assets and in large numbers. MPs would be able to recommend under MPLADS works such as development of playfields including leveling of playgrounds in hilly areas, construction of boundary wall, etc., and durable assets in village panchayats and block panchayats. Similarly in urban areas, MPs would be able to recommend works such as multi-purpose halls, athletic tracks, football, hockey turfs etc.