Soon, character building prog across state

The state government will start character building programme across the state, said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday.

The Chief Minister directed the state Youth Services and Sports department to take up the programme, under the name of Swami Vivekananda Character Building Programme, in collaboration with the police.

She was speaking at the programme organised by the Youth Services and Sports department at Netaji Indoor Stadium where eminent sports personalities were felicitated and grants to clubs were distributed.

Stressing on the necessity of taking steps for building good "character" of a person right from childhood, Banerjee said: "The Youth Services and Sports department along with the police department will do the needed to initiate the programme in every nook and corner of the state". Banerjee asked Aroop Biswas, the state Youth Services and Sports minister, Lakshmi Ratan Shukla, minister of state for Youth Services and Sports department, and Commissioner of Kolkata Police, Rajeev Kumar, to take necessary steps for proper implementation of the programme.

Banerjee said: "We may get back everything that we lose, but we will never get back our character if we lose it once."

She said that in today's times, children are getting addicted to laptop and mobile phones and it is putting them in a puzzled state of mind. Thus, children need to be motivated to take part in sports activities. "I would urge the state education minister Partha Chatterjee to bring sports in the curriculum of school education," she said after urging the sports personalities to take necessary steps to motivate children to take part in sports. "The pollution is not only in the environment but is penetrating in the minds of people also. Thus, character building programme is essential," she said adding that sports helps to keep one out of anti-social activities.

Stating that demonetisation left an effect on sponsorships for various programmes, she announced that Rs 50 lakh will be given to each of the 13 clubs participating in Calcutta Football League and Rs 5 lakh each to the 11 clubs under the Bengal Olympic Association.

On Monday, 4000 clubs received grants of Rs 2 lakh each and 8,653 clubs will be receiving Rs 1 lakh each.