CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday dedicated 1,000 more ‘Pendu Khed Maidan’ (model village sports grounds) across the state, taking the total number inaugurated so far to 1,764 against the target of 3,100. The initiative is part of his government's efforts to channelise youth energy towards sports and away from drugs.
Attending the inauguration ceremony at Shahpur village in the Amloh Assembly constituency of Fatehgarh Sahib, Mann said Punjab is laying the foundation to emerge as a hub of international sporting talent, with every sports ground being equipped with football, hockey, volleyball and cricket kits.
Taking a swipe at previous governments, he said they neither provided grants to villages nor undertook development works, while his government was prioritising sports infrastructure to give rural youth opportunities to become international athletes and bring glory to Punjab.
Addressing the gathering, CM Mann said channelising the energy of Punjab’s youth towards sports is essential to protect them from the drug menace and provide them with a constructive direction. He asserted, “Our government is committed to making Punjab drug-free. We are dedicating another 1,000 sports grounds to the people today because our youth need proper facilities and opportunities to excel in sports. By channelising their energy towards sports, we can keep them away from drugs and encourage them to bring laurels to Punjab and the country.”
He said that for the first time, the Punjab Government had undertaken such an extensive initiative to develop high-quality sports infrastructure in villages, ensuring that rural youngsters had access to modern facilities close to their homes. “Under this initiative, 3,100 ‘Pendu Khed Maidan’ (model village sports grounds) are being developed across Punjab. These grounds are an important part of our ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’. Our objective is to create a sporting culture in every village so that young people choose fitness, discipline and positive activities over drugs,” he added.
Highlighting the progress of the project, CM Mann said that 255 sports grounds were dedicated to the people during the first phase on May 4, followed by another 509 on August 24 during the second phase. With the dedication of 1,000 additional grounds in the third phase, the initiative had entered another significant stage. These include 93 sports grounds in Fatehgarh Sahib district.
"We are not merely developing playgrounds; we are creating opportunities for our rural youth. Every village should have quality sports infrastructure where children can train, practise and pursue their sporting ambitions,” Mann said.
He said that the sports grounds were being developed with a comprehensive range of modern facilities to ensure that villagers could use them for multiple sporting and fitness activities. “These include six-foot-high chain-link boundary fencing, plantation along the boundaries to increase green cover, six-foot-wide walking tracks with footlights, separate toilets for men and women, and storerooms for sports kits and equipment. To ensure proper upkeep of the grounds, submersible pumps and hydrants have also been installed for watering grass and plants,” he added.
Mann further said that dedicated children’s play areas equipped with swings, ladder bars and slides were being developed, while high-mast lights would ensure proper illumination of the grounds.
Keeping local sporting preferences in mind, facilities for volleyball, football, hockey and other popular games were being provided. “These grounds will offer much more than basic playing facilities. We are developing lush green turfs with quality grass, while selected grounds will also have six-lane, 400-metre running tracks to encourage athletics and running. Our aim is to make sports accessible to every child in Punjab,” he said.
Mann said that Gram Panchayats would be responsible for ensuring the proper maintenance of these sports grounds through dedicated committees. “These committees would comprise the Sarpanch, President of the Youth Club, concerned Junior Engineer (JE) and Panchayat Secretary. The Gram Panchayat would also nominate a woman member or a sportsperson to the committee,” he added.
“The responsibility of maintaining these facilities will rest with the village-level committees so that the sports grounds remain functional and are used regularly by children and youngsters,” he said.