MP govt proposes 5% quota for sportspersons in jobs

The Madhya Pradesh government would introduce a bill in the Legislative Assembly to earmark five per cent reservation to sportspersons in state jobs, Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Jitu Patwari said on Wednesday.

Patwari was speaking to reporters after scaling a 40-feet-tall rock wall at the sports ground of the Barkatullah University here.

"We are going to bring a bill in the Assembly to provide five per cent reservation to sportspersons in government jobs," he said, adding that an insurance scheme has also been launched for them.

Apart from these initiatives, the government also plans to establish a career development centre for sportspersons and a world-class sports university.

Sportspersons who excel at national competitions would get encouragement prize of Rs 1 lakh instead of Rs 5,000, Patwari said.

While organisations that host state-level sports meets would get Rs 2 lakh instead of Rs 50,000, those holding national-level competitions will get Rs 10 lakh instead of Rs 2 lakh given earlier, the minister added.