Government schools to get smart playgrounds in Amritsar

Neha Saini

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 19

Capitalising on the sports funds reserved due to the pandemic, the Amritsar district Education Department has initiated the project to set up ‘smart playgrounds’ at all government schools across the district. The department is compiling data for per school funding requirement that will be shared with the Sports Department to release funds accordingly.

Kuljinder Singh Malhi, district sports mentor, said the process of upgrading facilities at government schools had begun last year.

“We had received Rs80 lakh for upgrading gymnasiums last year that were used to set up five state-of-the art gymnasiums at schools in Lopoke, Ajnala, Attari, Tarsika and senior secondary school at Mall Mandi. Also, the annual sports fee revenue received by the district Education Department that is usually shared with the Sports Department was given back to schools last year for sports upgradation. We have already set up 80 smart playgrounds in district.”

A meeting was held on Wednesday with Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla, District Education Officer (S) Satinder Bir Singh and Sushil Kumar Tulli District Education Officer (A). Malhi said that while the department was releasing grants for smart playgrounds for games, including hockey, basketball, handball shooting range, etc as per the demand of the school, upgraded playgrounds for games like kho kho, kabaddi, badminton and indoor halls for table tennis, carrom board, chess, etc have already been completed. He said financial assistance of Panchayat and SMC committee members could also be sought for this purpose as soon as possible.

Malhi said that utilising the previous reserves for sports development is the priority now.