LUCKNOW, Dec. 3 -- The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to treat all national and international sportspersons employed by the state government as on duty when they participate in national or international competitions or attend training and sports camps held to prepare them for such events. The move is expected to ease the process of granting permission to sportspersons for competitions and camps, removing a long-standing hurdle. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath presided over the Cabinet meeting that approved 20 proposals, including the ones providing for disbursement of incentives to three investors under the provisions of the Infrastructure and Industrial Investment Policy-2012 (M/s Paswara Papers Limited, Meerut) and Industrial Investment and Employment Promotion Policy 2017 (M/s KR Pulp and Papers Private Limited, Shahjahanpur and M/s Brindavan Agro Industries Private Limited). Briefing media persons, minister for finance and parliamentary affairs Suresh Khanna said the Uttar Pradesh Antarrashtriya Padak Vijeta Sidhi Bharti (Direct Recruitment of International Medal Winners) Rules, 2022 did not provide for treating the sportspersons as on duty or allowing them leave to participate in the competitions or training/sports camps. "Getting permission for participation in such competitions or training and sports camps was causing problems to sportspersons. Now, they will be considered on duty for the duration of competitions/camps and travel," said Khanna. Those aware of the development said the decision would benefit over 3,000 sportspersons, most of them in the UP Police, who often faced leave and salary cuts during training or participation in events. UP director (sports) RP Singh said that the decision would be a big help to the sportspersons, who are in jobs of the state government. "There were several hardships for many in the past regarding their leave and salary cuts due to participation even in events abroad, but the decision will now make things easier for them," he said. It may be noted that in almost every other state of the country, sportspersons in government jobs are entitled to be considered on duty even when they go for training or exposure trips abroad. "The decision will be helpful for the sportspersons in government jobs in UP, as now they won't be bothered about anything else," said Kanhaiya Lal, a state government employee recruited through the sports quota in the postal department. On incentives, Khanna said a revised claim for reimbursement of SGST of Rs.65,67,235 had been approved for M/s Paswara Papers Limited, which submitted a claim of Rs.2,15,82,946 and was earlier given incentives of Rs.1.50 crore. A sum of Rs.56,39,785 had been approved for M/s KR Pulp and Papers Limited, while an amount of Rs.17.06 crore had been approved for disbursement to M/s Brindavan Agro Industries Private Limited Mathura, he added....