Giving a major boost to its sporting activities, SAIL, Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) under the guidance of Mr. Alok Verma, Director In-Charge has enhanced the allowances of sportspersons significantly to attract more sporting talents and promote excellence. The revised provisions mark a significant enhancement in the entitlements and facilities being extended to sportspersons of RSP, which has been carried out after a gap of about 35 years. This is applicable to both employees as well as non-employees playing for the organization.
The award money for Distinguished Sportspersons Award has been enhanced substantially to provide attractive cash awards for achievers at both national and international levels. Gold medal winners at international events will now receive Rs. 50,000/- (individual) and Rs. 25,000/- (each player of the team). Individual silver and bronze award winners will now receive Rs. 40,000/- and Rs. 30,000/- respectively. In team events, in case of silver medal each player will get Rs. 20,000/- and Rs. 15,000/- respectively. Participants in International events will get Rs.10,000/_ (individual) and Rs. 5,000/- (team event).
National-level winners in senior, junior and sub-junior categories will also receive enhanced awards. Coaches too will be recognised for their excellence, with cash awards up to Rs. 30,000/- at international level and Rs. 15,000/- for national-level achievements.
Some other key highlights of revision include enhancing local conveyance from Rs. 20/- to Rs. 350/- and Journey DA from Rs. 40/- to Rs. 250/- for 12 hours. The Hotel accommodation allowance has increased from Rs. 60/- per day to Rs. 1000/- and Daily Allowance (DA) has been raised from Rs. 80/- to Rs. 500/-. The Pocket allowance for employees has also been raised from Rs. 25/- to Rs. 150/- per day and for non-employees from Rs. 15/- to Rs. 150/- per day. Diet/refreshment allowance during camps has been revised to Rs. 100/- per day for both employees and non-employees, compared to the earlier Rs. 6/- and Rs. 3/- respectively. The mode of journey of the players has been enhanced from 2nd class to 3rd AC.
All sportspersons will now be entitled to an annual subsidy of Rs. 2000/- for sports kits, applicable uniformly across all games. Scholarships have been substantially enhanced, with school-going children (12–15 years) now eligible for Rs. 1000/- per month which earlier was Rs. 200/- and college-going students (16–19 years) will get Rs. 1500/- per month against the earlier level of Rs. 300/-. The monthly stipend for sports trainees has also been increased from Rs. 1000/- to Rs. 2500/-.
Expressing happiness over the major revision in allowances of the sportspersons, Mr. Alok Verma has said, “By investing in our sportspersons, we not only showing our commitment to their well-being but also to the larger culture of our organization. This increased allowance will undoubtedly be a powerful incentive, attracting new talents, encouraging more employees to participate in sports and strengthening the image of Rourkela as a sporting hub.”
