Chandigarh MC bans granting funds for sports event

MC chief says Chandigarh administration had a sports department of its own to promote sports activities in the city

Municipal corporation (MC) has banned granting funds for sports events after an audit found that the practice, being followed for long by MC councillors to sponsor local sports events, was in violation of norms.

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MC commissioner KK Yadav said there was a strong objection in the audit against releasing MC funds for sports activities, since the civic body never formulised any criteria for this. Any commitment by councillors for sports events will not be formally entertained, he added.

The issue was also discussed in the September 16 General House meeting where senior deputy mayor Hardeep Singh and BJP councillor Sunita Dhawan said they should be allowed to release grants for sports events in the city. However, Yadav objected saying that there will be recoveries from officials if the practice was allowed to continue.

When councillors said they will face public embarrassment after stopping grants, especially in rural areas where small sports events are common, Yadav asked the arts and culture committee to discuss the issue in their internal meeting, and then propose how funds can be released for such events.

The MC chief was also of the view that UT had a sports department to promote sports activities in the city, and MC should focus primarily on strengthening civic infrastructure.