Rs1.20-cr grants to dera for sports promotion

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, November 19

Haryana Government ministers have offered around Rs 1.20 crore in grants for the promotion of sports to Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa during the last one year.

Hisar based activist Naresh Satrodia obtained this information in reply to an application filed under the Right to Information Act (RTI) recently. The RTI reply revealed that Sports and Health minister Anil Vij, Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma, Transport Minister Krishan Lal Panwar and Minister of State for Cooperation and Urban Local Bodies Manish Grover had issued huge grants to the dera. However, the previous Congress government during its five-year rule did not give any grant to the dera.

Anil Vij and Ram Bilas Sharma had sanctioned grants of Rs 51 lakh each while Panwar and Grover sanctioned Rs 11 lakh each. However, only half of the total amount ie., Rs 61 lakh reached the dera accounts while the remaining amount was withheld after dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted of two rapes and jailed in August this year. The Education Minister’s grant of Rs 50 lakh was cancelled while Transport Minister’s grant of Rs 11 lakh was withheld, the RTI reply disclosed.

Former Education Minister Prof Sampat Singh said the BJP government has spoiled the sports enviornment in the state. “While sportspersons are in a pitiable condition as sports nurseries and wings are lying defunct for the last three years, the BJP government is offering grants to the dera that claimed to have supported them during the Assembly elections,” he added.

Sampat said it was unfortunate that ministers donated money to the dera in the name of sports promotion while nurseries of sports were denied funds.