• Source:JND
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The Bihar government established a distinct "sports department" within its cabinet on Wednesday to enhance facilities and offer assistance to athletes.

Jitendra Kumar Rai, Minister of Art, Culture, and Youth, has been assigned additional responsibility for the department.

The department of Art, culture, and Youth Affairs currently includes the Sports Wing.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had earlier on Saturday, January 6, declared that the state government would shortly establish a distinct "sports department." 71 state athletes who competed in national and international competitions and won medals received appointment letters from him.

“We have decided to create a separate sports department in Bihar to boost infrastructure and support athletes in their endeavour to win medals,” he had said.

“Now, a separate sports department will be created to facilitate talent … and provide them international-level facilities for athletes in the state,” Kumar stated.

He went on to say that the Bihar government has made the decision to support and encourage sports by offering medal-winning athletes direct jobs. The government has made the decision to offer administrative and police jobs to state athletes who place first in national and international competitions.

“The state government has already formulated a policy for providing government jobs to medal winners- ‘medal lao, naukari pao’ (bring medal, get jobs)”, he said.

In addition, he said, the administration had already built 250 stadiums throughout the state, and in Rajgir, in addition to a cricket stadium and sports universities, an international sports academy was in the works.