Will initiate probe if corruption found in sports outfits purchase under Cong govt: Rathore

Rajasthan Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore on Tuesday said in the state assembly that if there was any corruption in the purchase of sports outfits in the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Olympic Games held under the previous Congress government, it will be investigated.

Replying to supplementary questions asked during the Question Hour, Rathore said it was a “matter of serious concern” that Rs 126 crore was spent on sports outfit purchases during the previous government.

If there was any corruption in the expenditure incurred on the purchase of sports outfits, the state government will get it thoroughly investigated by the finance department, he said.

The minister said that more than four times the budget allocated to the sports department was spent in organising the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Olympic Games even though no new stadium or permanent asset was constructed.

Earlier, in a written reply to a question by MLA Manoj Kumar, the sports minister said that in 2022, Rs 40.92 crore was spent in the state for the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Olympic Games. In 2023, Rs 155.46 crore was spent for the Rajiv Gandhi Rural and Urban Olympic Games, Rathore said. He tabled the details of the expenditure incurred in organising these two competitions.

The minister said that no investigation has been done yet into the expenditure incurred in the Rural Olympic Games, and added that given the demand of the MLA, an inquiry will be conducted into it.

Rathore said that there is no provision for selection of talents for state, national and international competitions based on the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Olympic Games, or for giving “out of turn” appointments in government service.

Rathore said that under the Rajasthan Sports Assistance Grant Rules, 7,145 applications have been received. After a review and certification of the applications, the amount payable to the eligible players will be determined, he said.

He said that the applications of 142 players for appointment in “out of turn” government service are still being processed.