Minister Nishith Announces Massive Prize Money and Government Jobs for Bengal's Athletes.

Bibhash Lodh, BS News Agency: Immediately upon assuming power, the new BJP government has pledged to bring about a radical transformation in Bengal's sports sector. On Tuesday, Sports Minister Nishith Pramanik announced substantial prize money for athletes who have won medals at international and national levels. He stated unequivocally, "Let talented athletes from West Bengal deliver their best performances and prepare themselves to propel Bengal forward, ensuring that West Bengal can advance and compete effectively with other states."

To inspire athletes and ensure their peak performance, the Sports Minister announced that a prize of ₹8 crore has been proposed for Olympic gold medalists. Silver medalists will receive ₹6 crore, and bronze medalists will receive ₹4 crore. He further noted that, until now, West Bengal had lagged behind other states in terms of rewarding talented athletes; however, following discussions with the Chief Minister, this disparity will be swiftly bridged.

In the Asian Games, gold medalists will receive ₹5 crore, silver medalists ₹4 crore, and bronze medalists ₹2 crore. For the Commonwealth Games, the prize money has been set at ₹1.5 crore for a gold medal, ₹75 lakh for silver, and ₹50 lakh for bronze.

Athletes winning gold at the World Championships will receive ₹2 crore, while silver medalists will get ₹1.5 crore and bronze medalists ₹1 crore. At the National Games, gold medalists will receive a prize of ₹7 lakh, silver medalists ₹6 lakh, and bronze medalists ₹5 lakh.

Sports Minister Nishith Pramanik also announced that opportunities for government jobs—beyond just financial rewards—are being created for medal-winning athletes. He gave his assurance, stating, "We will arrange for government jobs, ranging up to the rank of DSP, based on their educational qualifications." This initiative aims to ensure the future security of Bengal's talented athletes.

To foster the holistic development of sports in Bengal, the West Bengal government will collaborate with the programs proposed under the 'Khelo India' and 'SAI' (Sports Authority of India) initiatives. Additionally, a new advisory committee will be constituted to identify deficiencies in sports infrastructure in North and South Bengal and to oversee the activities of the federations.
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