Chiranjibip

Bhubaneswar: International Odia athlete and Olympian Dutee Chand on Tuesday criticised the Odisha government for not keeping its promise of allotting her a government quarter or residential plot in Bhubaneswar.

Dutee took to the social networking site Facebook to express her dissatisfaction. “Our State government has failed to keep its promise of providing residential plots to the Olympians. Two years have passed since the announcement. How long should we wait for it?”Dutee wrote in her post.

Speaking to odishatv.in, Dutee said, “On May 2016, before the Rio Olympics, the State government promised us a residential plot within six months. But nothing has been done yet.”

The Olympian rued that she has been trying to follow up the matter with the Odisha Sports Minister Chandra Sarathi Behera and Sports Secretary Vishal Dev.

The Secretary Sports informed me that the department has done its job by submitting a letter to the GA department. They asked me not to worry and that the Chief Minister will look into the matter. Meanwhile I have been making efforts to meet the CM but international competitions are keeping me busy.

---Dutee over phone from Hyderabad

Notably, the State government, on May 2016 had issued a letter to the General Administration Department to allot government houses or plots to five international athletes including Dutee Chand, Srabani Nanda, Amiya Kumar Mallick, Jauna Murmu and Purnima Hembram. All the five athletes had represented the Nation in the 22nd Asian Athletics Championships held in Bhubaneswar last year.

Earlier this month, Dutee had taken to social media expressing her dissatisfaction after she was denied to use the VIP parking area near Jagannath Temple in Puri.

 

 

 

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