DW BUREAU / cHANDIGARH Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday inaugurated 98 newly constructed park-cum-Vyayamshala to promote sports infrastructure in rural areas of the state. He had inaugurated 12 such Vyayamshala in Sonipat on Saturday. The total number of such sports facilities in the state stands at 511, with work on additional 300 park-cum-Vyayamshala expected to be completed within next few months. Speaking after the inauguration of these Vyayamshala through video conferencing, the chief minister said the state government has proposed to set up additional 1,000 park-cum-Vyayamshala in the state this year for which a provision of Rs 250 crore has been made in the budget. Besides, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for promoting AYUSH health and wellness centres, the state government is contemplating to set up one such centre each of two-three rooms in all its park-cum-Vyayamshala for achieving comprehensive health care, he said. Khattar inaugurated a park-cum-Vyayamshala each in Ambala, Gurugram, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Panchkula, Panipat and Rewari districts, 10 in Bhiwani, six each in districts of Charkhi Dadri, Faridabad, Karnal and Mahendergarh, seven in Fatehabad, four in Hisar, nine in Jhajjar, 13 in Jind, two each in Palwal and Yamunanagar, eight in Rohtak and 12 in Sirsa, an official statement said here. Acknowledging the benefit of Yoga in day-to-day life, the chief minister said his government has decided to construct Vyaymshala in 1,000 gram panchayats in the first phase. He said to ensure active participation of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the development process of the state, the work for maintenance and upkeep of these Vyayamshala would be handed over to zila parishad. Apart from this, AYUSH assistants would be recruited at district levels who would be assigned different works in the park-cum-Vyayamshala for generating awareness among the people for improving body immunity besides plantation of Ayurvedic medicinal plants in the park complex. Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, who joined the video conferencing from Hisar, said the park-cum-Vyayamshala would prove to be a milestone in further strengthening the rural sports infrastructure in the state. (editor@dailyworld.in)