Union Sports minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday announced big news for the meritorious athletes of the country as he said in the parliament lifelong pensions will be given to the athletes under the ‘Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons’ scheme.
Rijiju while speaking in the Parliament informed that presently around 627 athletes are receiving monthly pensions under the ‘Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons’ scheme. Rijiju also took to twitter to twitter to give this information on Monday.
Rijiju wrote in the caption of his tweet,
“This is for the information of all the concerned sportspersons: Lifelong monthly pension for medal winners in international events under ‘Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons’ scheme.”
The Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju also issued an official statement which read,
“Sportspersons, who are Indian citizens and have won medals in Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, and World Cups/World Championships (in Olympic and Asian Games disciplines) and Paralympic Games, are eligible for lifelong monthly pension after they attain the age of 30 years or retire from active sports, whichever is later.”
The statement also informed about the sports person receiving the benefit of the ‘Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons’ scheme as the statement read,
“At present, 627 sports persons are getting lifelong monthly pension ranging from Rs 12,000 to Rs 20,000 under the scheme.”
Further, the statement also notified that the ministry is also implementing Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons which will be benefiting athletes and sportspersons of the past who are forced to live in impoverished conditions and for medical treatment of sportspersons.
The sports minister also clarified that these schemes that have been announced for the abled body sportspersons will also be benefiting the differently-abled athletes. Rijiju’s statement made it very clear that schemes will equally be applicable to disabled and physically impacted sportspersons.
It is also to be noted that this information was given by Rijiju in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
