https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

With Mini Stadium in All Gram Panchayats, Rajasthan’s Pali District Promoting Sports Big Time

Pali district of Rajasthan will soon have a sports ground and a mini stadium in every gram panchayat. This is being done with the aim of promoting rural sporting talents. NREGA and sarpanch funds are being partly utilised for building sports infrastructure.
Indian Masterminds Stories

It is often seen that due to lack of playground, children cannot play sports, and this affects their overall fitness as well as their mental health. In the same way, due to the lack of running track in the villages, young people who want to join the army are seen running on the rough roads. It’s also a common sight to see village youth playing cricket on the lanes or on agricultural fields. But in one district in Rajasthan, the scene is different. In Pali district, model playground and mini stadium are being built in every gram panchayat, thanks to the 2012-batch IAS officer and Pali District Collector, Mr. Namit Mehta and his Khelo Pali initiative.

Indian Masterminds interacted with Mr. Mehta to get more details.

IAS officer Namit Mehta playing cricket at a gram panchayat’s ground

ALL PANCHAYATS TO HAVE MINI STADIUMS

The officer got posted here in January and soon after he started taking keen interest in promoting sports among the youth of the district.

Pali district has 341gram panchayats. In 10 panchayats, playground work has already been completed, in 80 panchayats, work is in progress, while in 150 panchayats, work is about to start. By 31 March 2023, all panchayats will have model playground and a mini stadium.

Running Track

KHELO PALI

Speaking to Indian Masterminds, Mr. Mehta said, “Model sports ground is a component within NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act). When I came here in January this year, I saw a sarpanch making a playground in his village. I thought if a sarpanch can do it, then why can’t it be done by us? So, we implemented that model in all gram panchayats by improvising a little.Model sports grounds will be built inside the biggest school of every gram panchayat headquarter.”

FUNDS USED FOR GOOD CAUSE

Under NREGA, some items like basketball poles, nets, etc., are not allowed. So,the officer motivated the sarpanches to buy this stuff from the funds that they get from the Finance Commission for development works.And as a result, sports grounds are being built in villages costing around 24 to 35 lakhs.

Basketball Court

“Believe me, these grounds are becoming so beautiful that when you go to rural areas, it makes your heart happy to see them. There are proper badminton courts, proper basketball grounds, running tracks, cricket grounds, etc.,” Mr. Mehta said.

MINI STADIUMS

He further informed that they are also building mini stadiums with a pavilion for shade. “All big programmes at the gram panchayat level can be held here,whether it is a function of national importance like 15 August or 26 January, or some sports or cultural programme.”

Inspecting a ground

VISION SUCCESSFUL

He also talked about the ambitious plan of the state government to hold Rural Olympics, the purpose of which is to provide children in rural areas a platform to show their talents in sports. “Now that we are building playgrounds in villages, these will go a long way in helping them prepare for such sports competitions.”

He added that the best part is they have not used any additional resources in this initiative,only utilised NREGA fund and sarpanch’s fund judiciously.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
MDL_Mazagaon_ltd
Veni Thapar Appointed as Independent Director on Board of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd.
NTPC Green Energy Ltd NGEL
NGEL Gives 378MW Wind Energy Project to Suzlon Energy Ltd
Vikram Dev Dutt IAS
Coal Secy Vikram Dev Dutt Highlights Visionary RSR Model at Stakeholder Meet on Sustainable Coal Transport
ITI Limited
S. Jeyanthi Gets Extension as Director (HR) of ITI Limited - Know About Her
Punjab_govt_resized
6 IAS Officers Reshuffled in Punjab, Rajiv Prashar Made Secy, Punjab State Human Rights Commission
Orissa Minerals Development Company Limited - OMDC
Dr Sarasu T N Re-appointed as Non-Official Director on the Board of OMDC
IAS Officers Indian Administrative Services (IAS)
IAS Officer Avinash Pathak Transferred from Beed Amid Controversy
NTPC
NTPC and Evren Sign PPA for 300 MW of Firm and Dispatchable Renewable Energy
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr Lokesh M IAS
E-Rickshaw Chaos, Waterlogging, Traffic Mess — Can Noida Fix Its Daily Chaos? | Exclusive with Dr Lokesh M, IAS
IRS Padmapani Bora UPSC
IRS Padmapani Bora’s 16-Year-Long Journey in Governance
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-13 at 1.46
This Collector Finds Happiness In Squeaks Of Children With Hearing Impairment Who Start Hearing After Surgery
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-23 at 17.08
Two Births in Two Weeks: How Malavika G Nair Delivered Her Baby And Her UPSC Dreams
Just 14 days after giving birth, Malavika G Nair cradled her newborn in one arm and a UPSC answer sheet...
Komal Punia UPSC 2024 AIR 6
Komal Punia: The IPS Officer Who Pursued Her IAS Dream & Conquered UPSC With AIR 6 | Exclusive
Komal Punia, a trainee IPS officer from Saharanpur, UP, overcame challenges and self-doubt to secure...
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-22 at 21.00
AIR-11, Ettaboyina Sai Shivani: The Girl Who Quietly Dreamt, and Loudly Delivered in UPSC CSE 2024
At 24, Ettaboyina Sai Shivani from Warangal cracked UPSC 2024 with AIR 11—no coaching, no shortcuts....
Social Media
GozJlgrXYAAHoKv
Murals for Cleanliness: Thoothukudi District Launches Art-Inspired Sanitation Drive in Panchayats
Local artists add colour and messages to village walls, promoting hygiene and community pride
Himanshu Nagpal IAS
Varanasi's Beggar Rehabilitation Initiative Recognised by UIDAI, CDO Himanshu Nagpal Shares the News
Mr. Himanshu Nagpal is a 2019-batch IAS officer
IAS Vaishali Chopra
Young IAS Vaishali Chopra Takes a Stand Against Caste Bias During Field Training in Uttar Pradesh
While the issue itself may seem small, the post is resonating widely online for its honest reflection...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
MDL_Mazagaon_ltd
Veni Thapar Appointed as Independent Director on Board of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd.
NTPC Green Energy Ltd NGEL
NGEL Gives 378MW Wind Energy Project to Suzlon Energy Ltd
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr Lokesh M IAS
IRS Padmapani Bora UPSC
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-13 at 1.46
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT