Day after DBA dissolution, question arises over existence of life members

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 10

A day after the executive committee of the District Badminton Association (DBA) dissolved, now question on the existence of life members of the association has arisen.

Players are of the view that if the life members will remain the same, there will be no change as they would elect same office-bearers of the association.

At present, there are as many as 160 members. Sachin Ratti, a former international player, said there should be new members in the association.

“Those who have hardly played badminton at the national level are the life members of the association. Even relatives of officials are members, which should not be the criteria,” he said.

“We will take up the matter with the DC and the ADC to appoint new members as otherwise the whole process of dissolving the executive committee will go in vain,” he added.

The DC, who is also the president of the DBA, had constituted a 10-member interim committee to conduct elections for its executive committee, which will be headed by Jitendra Jorwal, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development).

Jorwal while speaking to The Tribune said he was yet to read the constitution of the association.

“I will be able to comment on the appointment of new members only when I will read the constitution and check the records,” he said.

The ADC said the records related to the association would be checked and everything would be looked into.

Notably, the Deputy Commissioner in an order released on Sunday had stated that there were numerous complaints regarding the delay in holding of the elections for the executive committee for a long period of time and at the same time, some irregularities in its day-to-day working had also been alleged.

“In this context when the official record was perused, it came to notice that the last executive committee of the DBA was constituted in April 2010, so the term of the committee has expired since long because as per rules, all office-bearers hold office for three years only unless they resign from the office before the expiry of the term,” the order reads.

The order further stated that as the term of the present executive committee had expired since long. Hence, keeping in view transparency, elections for the committee were required to be held without any delay.

Ashwini Victor, secretary, DBA, when asked about the reports and allegations that the life members of the association were not national-level players, he said he did not know about the old members prior to 2010. “I don’t know about the members nominated before 2010, but around 20-25 are the players who have played at the national level,” he said.