Employees to seek permission to be part of Sports Associations: Sports Minister
Rajesh Dhar
JAMMU, Apr 8: To promote sports in nooks and corners of the State and help Jammu and Kashmir in crafting a space on the Country’s Sports Map, the priority of the State Government is to remove the deadwood from the elitist Sports Organization, the Jammu and Kashmir State Sports Council. The need of the hour is to replace the existing deadwood in the Sports Council by the people with outstanding sports background.
This was revealed by the Minister for Youth Services and Sports, Imran Raza Ansari in a freewheeling chat with Excelsior Correspondent in Jammu on Wednesday.
Mr Ansari said it has been observed that apart from the people with sports background, the Council possesses good number of members, who are there just like frill or ornaments to fit the bill, adding that their omission from the Council is the demand of the situation.
“To give better results, one needs to run Organizations or Associations with the concerned people and running them by involving people having hardly any background in the subject is simply absurd, rather like flogging a dead-horse. ‘Mind your own business’ is the ‘mantra’ to achieve success. For that matter, experts in a particular trade should be assigned the job of that specific subject,” expressed Mr Ansari.
He said, young, energetic and the people from sports fraternity will be inducted in the Council.
On a question as to why the Government Order restricting Government employees from being part of the Sports Associations without seeking permission from their respective Departments/Organizations, has not been implemented in letter and spirit, the Sports Minister said that no Government employee will be part of any Sports Association, unless he or she seeks permission from the Department.
The Minister said, though the Govt is not against the participation of the employees in the Sports Associations, yet they would have to fill the necessary criteria to be part of them, adding that there is no harm in serving the public interest after their Government assignments, no-doubt the permission is mandatory.
Expressing satisfaction over the performance of the State players in the recently held 35th National Games and allied National Tournaments, the Minister said that they (Sportspersons) have done a wonderful job by keeping the State Flag high at the National scene, despite lack of infrastructure and adverse conditions created by floods in the State.
He said the existing sports infrastructure has been badly damaged by heavy rains and floods in the State, so the State Government and his Ministry has already taken an initiative to develop world class sports facilities, adding that in this connection, the State Government has demanded special package from the Union Sports Ministry to raise adequate sports infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir.
On utilization of services of the employees appointed under SRO 349/98, Mr Ansari said that the services of these outstanding sportspersons will be purely and properly utilized for promoting sports in the State, no matter in which Department or at what post the official is serving. “The need is to produce international stuff by making proper use of the quality sportspersons,” he added.
“Every effort will be made to provide opportunity and platform to the budding sportspersons in order to help them hone their skill and talent. Our aim will be to host a galaxy of National Level events in the State to help the sportspersons match the best in the Country,” Mr Ansari expressed.
While assuring to streamline both the sports agencies namely J&K State Sports Council and the Department of Youth Services and Sports, the Minister said that these agencies need to be overhauled, adding that one needs to go into the philosophy of the things, before implementing any decision.
The Sports Minister further said, it has been learnt that after reorganization of the Department of Youth Services and Sports, the Physical Education Lecturers and Zonal Physical Education Officers have been deprived of their own grade to leave them in the lurch, adding that their long pending problem needs to be solved at an earliest.
Mr Ansari concluded by saying that to expect good results without streamlining the system is simply to red rag a bull rather like crying for the moon.
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