Patiala: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday dedicated 1,000 ‘Pendu Khed Maidan’ across the state, taking the number inaugurated to 1,764 of the targeted 3,100 village sports grounds. At a ceremony in Shahpur village in Fatehgarh Sahib, Mann said the initiative aimed to steer young people towards sports and away from drugs while developing Punjab as a hub for international sporting talent. The newly dedicated facilities include 93 grounds in Fatehgarh Sahib district.Mann said 255 grounds had been dedicated in the first phase on May 4 and 509 in the second phase on Aug 24. Punjab govt has committed Rs 1,500 crore to developing the 3,100 grounds under its ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ campaign. The grounds will have six-foot-high chain-link boundary fencing, plantations, six-foot-wide walking tracks with footlights, separate toilets for men and women, storerooms, submersible pumps and hydrants. Children’s play areas, high-mast lights and facilities for volleyball, football, hockey and other games are also being provided. Selected grounds will have six-lane, 400-metre running tracks. Villages will receive football and hockey goalposts, volleyball poles and two nets, three volleyballs, three footballs and cricket kits. They will also receive 36 pairs of football studs, while complete cricket kits will be supplied where the game is particularly popular.Football and volleyball coaches will provide free training at all grounds, Mann said. Gram Panchayats will maintain the facilities through committees comprising the Sarpanch, youth club president, junior engineer and panchayat secretary. Each Panchayat will also nominate a woman or sportsperson to its committee. Mann alleged that previous govts had neither provided grants to villages nor undertaken development work. He said the current govt was prioritising sports infrastructure to provide rural youth with opportunities to train near their homes.Cabinet minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond and other dignitaries attended the ceremony.
