New Delhi: After Members of Parliament, it was the turn of sportspersons to demand that they should be given priority in allotting the flats at the Commonwealth Games Village.
Samajwadi Party member Shailender Kumar had on Monday raised in the Lok Sabha the demand for allotment of the flats, constructed on the banks of Yamuna River.
Now, a demand has come from the side of sportspersons to give priority to them while allotting the flats, with Commonwealth Games discus gold medallist Krishna Poonia saying that they would be ready to buy them at the market value.
"I would like to request the government to give priority to those sporstpersons who have won medals in the Commonwealth Games. We are ready to buy the flats at market value or at rate decided by government," Poonia, who became the only woman individual Commonwealth Games gold medallist in athletics in the Delhi CWG last year, told reoporters from Patiala.
Athletics head coach Bahadur Singh also supported Poonia and said that the CWG medal winners should be given priority while allotting the flats.
"The sportspersons who have won medals at the Delhi Games should be given priority in the allotment of the flats at the Games Village. They have brought laurels for the country and they can pay at the market value or government rate," he said.
"I am not saying that the MPs should not be given the flats. But the medal winners at Delhi CWG should also be considered as priority if they want to buy the flats. This will inspire future sportspersons to bring laurels for the country," he added.
Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath had told the Lok Sabha that there was no scheme for allotment of the flats to MPs but if Speaker Meira Kumar directed so, then this could be considered.
More than 700 flats at the Games Village are still unsold and Nath had said the government first wanted 100 flats to be auctioned to determine the market value.
PTI
