'Dahi Handi' may get status of sport activity

Maharashtra Government on Thursday said that it was planning to confer status of 'sport activity' on the traditional 'Dahi Handi', a unique Maharashtrian way of celebrating birth of Lord Krishna.

'Dahi Handi' involves building human pyramids to reach an earthen pot hung high in the air.

The state Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Padmakar Valvi told the Legislative Assembly that the government had received such a proposal.

The demand was made by MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar during a debate on the state's sports policy through a calling attention notice.

Valvi said the recommendation was being forwarded to the state sports council.

The minister admitted that budgetary allocation for sports was hardly one per cent of the state budget. But he expressed confidence that the allocation would go up after the new sports policy comes into effect.

The minister also admitted that there was a delay in putting the draft policy before the cabinet, and promised that it would be done during this session itself. "The new sports policy would be implemented within a month's time," he said.

He also said that government had proposed setting up Mumbai Sports Authority to look after development and maintenance of sport complexes in Mumbai.