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Bengal

Govt announces financial assistance to people taking up mountain expedition of more than 8000ft

Kolkata: In a bid to encourage more youth to participate in mountaineering and adventure sports, the state government has announced an increase in financial assistance to those who will take up expedition of mountains of more than 8,000 metre high.
Aroop Biswas, the state Youth Services and Sports minister, said: "From now onwards, the financial assistance will be increased to Rs 7.5 lakh from Rs 5 lakh." He was speaking in an award programme of West Bengal Mountaineering and Adventure Sports Foundation at State Youth Centre at Moulali. The Radhanath Sikdar-Tenzing Norgay Adventure Award 2017 was conferred to mountaineers Kuntal Kanrar and Sk Sahabuddin. Each of them have also received Rs 1 lakh each. Kanrar and Sahabuddin have conquered Mount Everest. The Chhanda Gayen Bravery Award 2017 has been given to Unnati Panday, who also received Rs 75,000 as prize money. Two special awards have been given to two women who had taken up an expedition in 1967. Biswas further said that only two had managed to reach the summit of Mount Everest during the Left Front Regime while after the change of guard in the state, 20 from Bengal reached the summit. He further said that awareness about mountaineering and adventure sports need to be created among schoolchildren and the mountaineering and adventure sports club also have to play a major role in this connection. He further said that the state government takes various steps in promoting the sports under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The state government also extends all sorts of help whenever any mountaineers face any trouble. It may be mentioned that Rs 25,000 has been given to each mountaineering and adventure sports club. On Wednesday, some of the clubs have received the financial assistance to promote the sport and more than 50 such clubs will be receiving the assistance.

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