Ex-min flays BJP for undermining Bilaspur sports infra

Former Minister Ram Lal Thakur criticised the BJP-led governments for shifting key sports facilities from Bilaspur, diminishing its status as a sports hub. Speaking at the inauguration of the 13th State-Level Master Games Championship at the Kehloor Sports Complex, he highlighted the efforts made during the Congress tenure to establish sports infrastructure in the town.

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Thakur noted that with the support of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Bilaspur was developed as a sports hub, housing the state’s first Sports Authority of India (SAI) complex, one of the first five such facilities established during Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure as Prime Minister.

As the Sports and Youth Affairs Minister, Thakur had approved a turf hockey field and a synthetic athletic track for Bilaspur. However, these facilities were later shifted to Una and Hamirpur under the BJP government led by former CM Prem Kumar Dhumal. Thakur argued that a separate track could have been developed in Hamirpur with minimal expenditure. He also criticised former Union Minister Anurag Thakur for constructing a boxing arena on the athletics field under the “Khelo India” initiative, claiming it disrupted the sanctity of the athletics track. Thakur emphasised that neither “Khelo India” nor “Master Games” are officially government-recognised sports bodies, accusing certain groups of exploiting these platforms for political gains.

Thakur further lamented the neglect of Bilaspur by senior BJP leaders, including Shanta Kumar, Prem Kumar Dhumal, Jai Ram Thakur, and BJP National President JP Nadda. He urged Nadda to secure the construction of a bridge over the Satluj River at Beri Dharola to address the district’s developmental concerns.

The championship, organised by the Master Games Association (MGA), saw the participation of over 300 players in 20 events. Tejaswai Sharma, General Secretary of MGA, and Vinod Kumar, President of MGA, were present at the event.