Another deadline for Chandigarh's Sports Policy
Deepankar Sharda
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, October 11
The recently concluded UT Administrator’s Advisory Council meeting witnessed yet another deadline for the completion of the UT’s Sports Policy.
As per the reports, the UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit has asked the UT officials to complete the policy by December 31 — a third deadline since the formation of this advisory council.
During a meeting on February 21, it was announced that the sports policy would be ready by May 30. “…In the meeting, there was a detailed discussion. Director, Sports, Tejdeep Singh Saini said apart from Haryana and Punjab, the policy of Delhi has been reviewed and the services of sports experts of Panjab University have also been taken. It will be ready by the end of May,” stated a note.
Previously, on July 24, 2020, a statement was made public. “The UT administration is in process of drafting a Sports Policy, hence open suggestions should be taken from the residents, eminent sports personalities, associations, schools etc by giving an advertisement in newspapers, and the policy should be made within a particular time frame of not more than three months.”
However, residents are still waiting for this advertisement to be published in newspapers.
On the same day, it was announced that the council members, in order to get a good policy, would visit former Indian Sprinter Milkha Singh and take his ideas too. However, no details of this meeting were made public and there is no record if this meeting took place or not. The legend died in June, this year. His wife Nirmal Milkha Singh, a former international volleyball player, who was also former Joint Director and Director of the department, also died the same month. Meanwhile, in the same meeting (July 24,2020), it was announced that the blueprint of the policy would be discussed on August 24, 2020.
During a meeting on November 29, 2019, the then UT Administrator had approved “Formulation of sports policy of the Sports Department and members desired submission of the draft of the same in the next meeting”.
Draft policy submitted
in 2016
A draft of the policy was reported to be submitted for the final approval in March-April 2016. The policy, after due consideration, was pending to be added to the constitution of the UT Sports Council. The department currently follows the Rule 8 (i) of the Punjab State Sports Rules, 1993.
Who’s making suggestions
As per the rules of the Home Department, the advisory council is to help and advise the UT Administration. The term of the council is of two terms and currently it’s on a six-month extension. The current panel has only one international player – Olympic Gold medallist Abhinav Bindra — who hardly attended any of the meetings. As per the rules, members of the council should be residing in Chandigarh.
Will it benefit local players?
The UT claims to have its own cash award policy. However, international players are still waiting to get awards. “Will the players get a job quota or direct job in UT offices? Will the players get inducted in the sports department? Will it encourage departments to have their own sports teams? If this policy would help local coaches’ to get pending promotions,” asks a senior coach.