Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 19: RTI activist and veteran Hockey players of Jammu and Kashmir today levelled ‘serious charges of corruption and misappropriation of funds’ against Hockey J&K which was allotted by J&K Sports Council for organising sports activities.
It was stated by RTI activist, Balvinder Singh and other veteran Hockey players during press conference, organised at Press Club, here today.
RTI activist accompanied by veteran Hockey players and Hockey lovers including Iqbal Singh, Manjeet Singh, Harbans Singh, Ravinder Singh, Waryam Singh, Janak Singh, Sharanjit Singh nd Beant Singh.
Singh said that he has received year wise details of funds released by Sports Council to Hockey J&K & also detail of expenditure through RTI but the Sports Council never bothered to get the account audited from the Association. “I thoroughly read the information received under RTI from the JKSC and found that utterly misuse of funds by the Hockey J&K,” he said, adding that nearly Rs 1.50 lakh has been spent by the Association to conduct its organisation election in 2017.
“However, numerous complaints were received by the Council from the various Clubs regarding refreshment of Rs 20 were provided to players during matches rather than Rs 100 but nobody seems bothered about them in the Council,” Balvinder alleged during press briefing.
In this regard a committee was framed by then Chief Sports Officer on dated 30/06/2017 vide letter No.SC/79/2986 and appointed Ranjit Kalra, member of Sports Council to enquire into these allegations and was asked to furnish confidential report within 15 days and same was submitted before the then Secretary Sports Council, Wahid Parrey.
“To get favour from the political dispensation and to defend themselves from any action by the Council, Rajinder Singh Kuku, who is all in all of Hockey J&K had appointed Kanta Andotra as acting president of Hockey J&K, so that he can use the influence of then Cabinet Minister Ch Lal Singh to hush up the cases and ultimately he succeeded to pressurise then Secretary Wahid Parrey for hushing up the matter,” he further alleged.
Singh further said that Hockey J&K has miserably failed to produce any national level player during the last 15 years.
Balvinder urged upon the UT Administration to direct ACB or CBI for investigating the functioning of all Sports Association of J&K especially Hockey J&K for misappropriation of funds and de-affiliated them which found guilty.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
