Haryana News: Senior Congress leader Anurag Dhanda has raised serious concerns over the Haryana government’s alleged failure to release diet allowance to thousands of sportspersons across the state. Addressing the issue during a live interaction, Dhanda claimed that around 37,000 athletes have not received their diet expenses for over a year.
Anurag Dhanda Flags Delay in Diet Allowance for 37,000 Haryana Athletes
Calling it a matter of neglect towards the sports community, Anurag Dhanda said that athletes who represent Haryana at district, state, and national levels are being forced to manage training and nutrition costs on their own. He alleged that despite repeated assurances, the Nayab Singh Saini-led Haryana government has failed to clear the long-pending dues.
Haryana News: He further questioned the state government’s commitment to sports development
Dhanda pointed out that Haryana has earned national and international recognition due to its sportspersons, yet those same athletes are now struggling due to administrative delays. “Sports excellence cannot be sustained if basic support systems like diet allowance are ignored,” he said.
According to him, the non-payment of diet expenses has had a direct impact on training routines, performance, and morale, especially for athletes from economically weaker backgrounds. Many promising players depend entirely on government support to continue their sporting careers.
He further questioned the state government’s commitment to sports development, stating that policy announcements mean little if implementation on the ground remains weak. Dhanda urged the government to immediately release the pending payments and put a transparent mechanism in place to prevent such delays in the future.
The issue has sparked concern among athletes and sports associations, who say timely financial support is crucial for maintaining Haryana’s strong presence in national sporting events.
