Himachal: The minister also stressed on providing sports facilities to the local youth

Himachal Pradesh: Rural Development Minister Anirudh Singh wants the control of school playgrounds to be given to the sports department from the education department to ensure local youth have access to sports infrastructure after school hours and during vacations when schools are closed. At present, playgrounds cannot be used by anyone other than school students. “I have discussed this with Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu. We are considering how to take it forward,” the minister said. A school principal, who did not wish to be named, said school playgrounds have been barred for anyone other than school students following the High Court order on the matter. “Schools cannot allow the use of grounds for any cultural activity, local fairs or sports events,” the principal said. Meanwhile, the minister said it was important to make sports infrastructure accessible to youth to encourage them to take up sports and keep them away from the growing menace of drugs. “Given our hilly terrain, there is a dearth of playgrounds. If schools do not allow local youth access to their sports infrastructure, they will have no place to play and may turn to substance abuse,” he said. Former Zila Parishad member Sohan Thakur, who hails from Cheog village in Shimla district, said the local community should be involved to promote sports. Since the school ground had become inaccessible to locals following the high court order, the locals built a ground for themselves about 200 metres from the school ground. “We have organised volleyball tournaments for youth in this ground. Now we are converting it into an ice skating rink in winters,” Thakur said. Besides, locals can use it to play any sports whenever they want.” Supporting the argument that local youth should have access to the playground after school hours, a school principal said the access should be only for sports activities. “Before the High Court order, people had started using the school premises for various events, including marriages,” he said. He added that the sanctity of schools must be maintained at all costs.