Decide Asian Games player’s claim in two months, says High Court

Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 4

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has set a two-month deadline for Haryana Director, Sports and Youth Affairs Department, to examine and decide the claim of an Asian Games participant and a kabaddi player, who alleged non-release of financial incentive/cash awards to sportspersons excelling at different levels.

The direction by Justice Tejinder Singh Dhindsa of the High Court came on a petition filed by Payel Chowdhury Karmakar against the state of Haryana and another respondent. Appearing before the Bench through videoconferencing, her counsel submitted that the petitioner had excelled in the sport of kabaddi. Elaborating, the counsel added that the petitioner had even won certain championships in team events in the Asian Games. In an attempt to substantiate her contentions, the petitioner’s counsel also appended certificates along with the petition.

Going into details, her counsel submitted that the short grievance raised in the petition was that the financial incentive/cash awards announced by the Haryana Sports and Youth Affairs Department, vide notification dated September 7, 2018, had not been released till date to the sportspersons. Her counsel added that the petitioner had already approached the authorities concerned, and that, too, repeatedly. But response was yet to be evoked.

Taking up the matter, Justice Dhindsa asserted that the matter was being disposed of without ascertaining the correctness of the averments made in the petition and without commenting on the petitioner’s entitlement to cash award/incentive.