CHANDIGARH: In a bid to steer the youth away from drug abuse by offering constructive outlets for their energy, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday announced plans to build playgrounds in all 12,500 villages across the state.
Detailing the plan, Mann said that in the first phase, playgrounds will be built in 3,083 villages. He added that though most village Panchayats have offered the government their land for making playgrounds, in many villages NRIs too have come forward to offer land for free for the purpose.
Mann said that when children take part in sports, they stay away from bad habits and their energy is channelled positively. He said athletes who won medals in international competitions will also be involved in coaching to promote a sporting culture among the youth.
He said that athletic tracks will be built and also Astroturf will be laid." These playgrounds are being built in all villages, and we intend to set up sports nurseries for a cluster of villages. The budget for these nurseries has been kept aside. These nurseries will also have hostels, messes and quarters for coaches. Depending on the popular sport of the area, a specific sport nursery will be built,” Mann added.
Taking a dig at previous governments, he alleged they pushed youth towards drugs. Mann said, "Youth were inclined towards sports and education. But during the previous governments' time, they were neither given grounds nor books. As they say, an idle mind is a devil's workshop, many youth fall into bad habits. Gradually, Punjab slipped into the quagmire of drugs, and youngsters did not get the atmosphere they deserved.’’
"Being a Punjabi and a sports lover, our aim is to pull the state's youth out of the drug menace. For that, we need to give them alternatives so they do not slip back into the habit," Mann said.
Despite a lack of facilities in the past, players like Shubman Gill and Harbhajan Singh emerged from Punjab, he said, adding that many players in the national hockey team also come from the state.
"We have to give them an alternative that channels their energy in the right direction. Youth will take to sports if the sports facilities are available and will not fall for drugs. Presently captains of three major sports teams of the country are Punjabis as Harmanpreet Singh is of hockey, Shubhman Singh of cricket and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu of football and they are emerging as youth icons,’’ said Mann and added that youth of the state can excel in hockey, cricket, kabaddi, athletics -- what they need is the right atmosphere and support.
He said that athletic tracks will be built, and also Astroturf will be laid. "These playgrounds are being built in all villages, and we intend to set up sports nurseries for a cluster of villages. The budget for these nurseries has been kept aside. These nurseries will also have hostels, messes and quarters for coaches. Depending on the popular sport of the area, a specific sport nursery will be built,” added Mann.