Odisha Wheelchair Cricket Team Alleges Govt Apathy

Bhubaneswar: While the State government boasts of giving prime importance to the development of sports sector, the Odisha Wheelchair Cricket team on Thursday openly levelled allegations of ignorance and negligence by Ashok Chandra Panda, the minister of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities department.

The 15-member team while leaving for Madhya Pradesh to take part in a T20 tournament yesterday alleged that despite their sincere attempts to seek minister Panda's help, he did not respond.

The team members said that they had been approaching Panda and the Sports department to help them get financial aid for participation in the tournament but he was negligent towards them.

Fed up with the non-responsiveness of the minister, the team finally made financial arrangements with their own initiative.

“The State Government did nothing to help us and despite our pleas, the concerned Minister remained non responsive,” alleged Captain of Odisha Wheelchair Cricket team, Ajay Jena while leaving for the T20 tour at Bhubaneswar Railway Station.