Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad   

Govt. firm on holding Afro-Asian Games

By Our Special Correspondent

Hyderabad March 5. The Government has rejected the Opposition plea to postpone or cancel the forthcoming Afro-Asian Games in Hyderabad in view of the drought prevailing in the State.

Intervening during a debate on drought in the Assembly today when the demand for scrapping was made by the MIM floor leader, Asaduddin Owaisi, the Minister for Sports, P. Ramulu, said the entire expenditure for the event was met by the Centre and the State was no way involved in spending.

The MIM chief sought the scrapping on the ground that the annual customary sports meet of MLAs, held during the budget session, was scrapped for this year as a token of concern by the House.

He said in the same way, the Afro-Asian Games could be cancelled or postponed. Mr Owaisi disagreed with the Minister on the expenditure issue, saying the State, in one way or other, would spend its own funds. If this was not, with whose money did the SAAP MD, L. V. Subrahmanyam, make his recent trip to Africa in connection with the games, he asked.

Mr. Owaisi told the Minister that thousands of people were migrating from the drought-hit areas and if the games were postponed, the Government would be giving a solidarity message to the suffering humanity.

The Sports Minister, however, told him that the event related to two continents and 96 participating nations and this was for the first time that the games were being held in India and at Hyderabad.

The date for the event was not yet indicated but it might take place in November-December by which time the impact of drought would have gone.

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