Deepankar Sharda
Chandigarh, November 15
The administration may lease out important sports complexes to local sports bodies (private) in the coming weeks. The UT Adviser believes that the sports infrastructure in the city has to be shared with the local sports associations.
At present, the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association (CLTA) is the only private sports association that is operating from a prime piece of government land (at Sector 10) by paying a nominal lease money. The Sports Department has no say in the decision-making of the CLTA.
Another private sports body, the Union Territory Cricket Association (UTCA), Chandigarh, is going to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the administration for carrying out its activities from the Sector 16 cricket stadium. While getting the BCCI affiliation, UTCA had claimed to having a partial control over the stadium, which is, otherwise, under the possession of the UT Sports Department.
“We are shortly finalising it (MoU). We want to have an MoU with them (UTCA). We are still examining it.” said Dharam Pal, UT Adviser. When asked, if the other associations would also be allowed to run operations from government stadiums, he replied, “All assets (stadiums) have to be shared with all associations. We have the Sector 42 sports complex and the Sector 16 stadium, and these facilities have to be shared. In fact, the entire infrastructure will have to be shared.”
Awaited since 2016, another deadline for sports policy?
In the pipeline since 2016, the UT administration has given itself another two-month deadline for formulating the first sports policy of the city. When questioned about a fewer number of coaches, no cash awards for sports persons and problems faced by junior players, Dharam Pal said, “Within a maximum of two months, the administration will formulate its sports policy, which will address all such problems. We will change the methodology for cash awards.” On having no regular officials from Chandigarh in the Sports Department, the Adviser said, “This is an old arrangement with Punjab and Haryana. We will see what can happen in the long term, but, for now, we will follow the existing model.”
Quota for UT players in constable’s posts
The UT Adviser assured that there will be 5 per cent reserved seats for the local sportspersons in the constable cadre of the Chandigarh Police.
The induction of sportspersons under the sports quota has been pending since 2007.
In 2011, the Police Department was scheduled to recruit sportspersons in June, but failed to do so.
The administration now plans to restart the process, but with the condition that the player has to be a bona fide resident of Chandigarh besides other regulations, said sources.
The implementation of this reservation is likely to start after the formulation of the sports policy.
