Post of Joint Director Sports gets lukewarm response, Chandigarh administration to reissue circular

Deepankar Sharda

Chandigarh, April 29

The UT administration has received only two applications for filing the post of the Joint Director Sports (JDS) by way of appointment of Class I officer (Joint Director) through transfer/deputation.

The local administration has written to their counterparts in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, but only received two applications—that also from Chandigarh. One of the former officers, who had earlier served at the JDS on deputation, and one of the female candidates, who previously attempted to join the same post, were the ones to apply for the post.

Now after getting a poor response, the UT Sports Department has already started to publicise the post once again. “Only one application was received till the deadline (April 4), and one more was received on the next day. The department has decided to restart the process and will once again circulate to the counterpart administrations. It’s unfortunate that only two applications were received,” an official said on condition of anonymity.

Earlier this year, the current JDS had sought repatriation to his parent cadre Himachal Pradesh. Dr Sunil Rayat, the first ever JDS from Himachal Pradesh, was appointed to the post in 2021. Interestingly, the post was filled after it went vacant in October 2019. And, in 2021, it was for the first time that the UT Sports Department had written a letter to the Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary (along with Punjab and Haryana) to invite the interested candidates.

No learning from the past

While local coaches still await their promotion as District Sports Officer (DSO) or JDS, the administration continues to seek appointment of officers (at these two posts) from other departments. It was only once, the department had given the charge of JDS to KS Bharti, the former DSO, in 2015 (as additional charge).

A professor from a local college, Dr JPS Sidhu held the post for 14 years before Bharti— which was supposed to be a makeshift arrangement till the time the administration appointed a regular JDS. And, Sidhu ended up becoming the longest serving officer at this post. Before Rayat, the post was again looked upon by an officer from another department of the UT Administration.

Not only the JDS, the department was finding it hard to appoint a DSO—as the crucial post is lying vacant since November 2023. As a cover-up, authorities had appointed a former coach from Haryana as the DSO. In last November, his contract wasn’t extended and the post has been lying vacant since then. Instead of starting the process to fill the vacant posts on a permanent basis, the department opted to appoint officials at these two on deputation basis—making it a tough call for the coaches within the department.

Central Service Rules

The Central Service Rules are not applicable to people on deputation to the UT Administration, those re-employed in government service after retirement and people employed on contract. The department was following the Punjab Service Rules, until the implementation of the new rules. And sources claimed that the administration was yet to re-names the posts at the sports departments as per the new rules.