Mohali, January 10: Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Raghav Chadha has officially inaugurated the newly built six badminton and two volleyball courts in the rural pockets of Mohali, marking a significant step in upgrading grassroots sports infrastructure in Punjab. The projects, completed in early January 2026, were funded through the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS). During the inauguration, Chadha emphasised that these "high-standard" facilities are designed to provide village youth with professional-grade playing surfaces, aiming to steer them toward sports and healthy lifestyles.

New Infrastructure for Rural Athletes in Mohali

The newly dedicated facilities include professional-grade outdoor volleyball courts and indoor-style badminton courts. Unlike basic concrete patches, these courts feature specialised levelling and durable surfaces intended to reduce injury risks for local players. Raghav Chadha Meets Blinkit Delivery Partner Over Lunch After Gig Worker’s ‘INR 763 for 28 Deliveries’ Video Goes Viral.

Chadha noted that the choice of sports - badminton and volleyball - was based on direct feedback from village panchayats. "Our rural youth have immense talent but often lack the basic 'durable' infrastructure to compete at higher levels," Chadha stated. "By providing these courts, we are ensuring that a child in a Mohali village has the same quality of equipment as a child in a private urban academy."

MP Raghav Chadha Uses MPLADS Funds To Build New Badminton and Volleyball Courts

What Is MPLADS? Understanding the MPLADS Funding Model

The development of these sports hubs has been made possible through MPLADS, a central sector scheme that empowers Members of Parliament to address locally felt needs.

Annual Allocation: Every MP is allocated inr 5 crore per year to recommend development works in their constituency (for Lok Sabha) or state of election (for Rajya Sabha).

Durable Assets: The scheme specifically mandates the creation of "durable community assets," such as schools, hospitals, roads, and sports facilities.

Non-Lapsable Nature: A unique feature of MPLADS is that if the funds are not fully utilised in one year, the balance is carried forward to the next, ensuring that long-term projects like sports complexes can be fully funded.

Role of the MP and Local Authorities

While Raghav Chadha recommended the project and allocated the budget, the execution followed the standard MPLADS protocol. Under the scheme, the MP does not handle the money directly. Instead, the funds are transferred to the District Authority (the Deputy Commissioner of Mohali), which identifies a suitable government implementing agency to carry out the construction. This dual-layer process ensures that the projects meet both the MP’s vision and the technical standards required by state engineering departments. Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha Share First Glimpse of Their Baby Boy, Reveal His Name ‘Neer’ With a Heartfelt Sanskrit-Inspired Post (View Post).

Focus on Youth and Health

This initiative is part of a broader "Sports for All" strategy being pushed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership in Punjab. By utilising MPLADS funds for sports rather than just traditional road repairs, the MP’s office aims to combat the state's drug menace by providing constructive alternatives for the youth. District officials confirmed that these courts will be managed by local sports committees to ensure they remain accessible to all residents for free, with scheduled coaching sessions planned for local students in the coming months.

TruLY Score by LatestLY
Rating:5

TruLY Score 5 – Trustworthy | On a Trust Scale of 0-5 this article has scored 5 on LatestLY. It is verified through official sources (Official X Account of Raghav Chadha). The information is thoroughly cross-checked and confirmed. You can confidently share this article with your friends and family, knowing it is trustworthy and reliable.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 10, 2026 05:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).