Cooch Behar: After central agencies like CBI and ED, this time the Sports Authority of India (SAI) is being utilised by the Central government for its own interests. For that reason, SAI announced on Wednesday the start of identifying and training players for football, volleyball and archery in the proposed New Cooch Behar area for a sports hub without any infrastructure.
North Bengal Development minister Udayan Guha raised this complaint.
Guha said: “With Lok Sabha elections ahead, the Sports Authority of India is being exploited. Union minister of State for Home and Sports Nishith Pramanik announced that by March 2024, the proposed site for the Center for Excellence in New Cooch Behar will have complete infrastructure.
In reality, it appears that 2024 is approaching, but nothing has happened except for the boundary wall.
Now, SAI is being used to cover that failure.
If a major organisation like SAI arranges for one’s training, then all the players and coaches are accommodated there. There is no such arrangement here. Such events are being organised only for elections.”
BJP MLA Nikhil Ranjan Dey said: “The initiative taken by the Union minister is taking time to be implemented as the state government is not cooperating. However, as soon as a solution to the problem is found, it will be created. Before that, SAI is going to identify the players and
start training.”