Ashok Kumar Salotra
Creating Sports infrastructure, Sports culture, encourage mass participation and the recent decision of the Govt to provide jobs to the outstanding, the most deserving and meritorious Sports persons of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir with 05 gazetted and 25 non gazetted posts every year, also assurance of clearing the back log from 2014 onward can be termed as phenomenal, significant and historical breakthrough under incentivization and a positive step towards the policy of the present regime headed by Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha with a hope to the buried dreams of Sports enthusiasts and young generation
The writer has been going through the planning policies and people friendly schemes whether fully implemented or those are in the pipeline like Sports Policy and creation of world class infrastructure to match the standard of other states and countries but still despite significant and gracious beginnings some more is expected as is evident from the Sports persons, parents, officials and people from all shades of life and in furtherance to the above Govt initiatives and liberal funding some question marks are also seen in scores of news papers and visualisation on the ground some of them are listed below for review, consideration and clarification by the heads of the twin departments of Youth Services & Sports and J&K UT Sports Council to all aggrieved:
Football ground at Khel Gaon Nagrota:
When on one hand the efforts are being made to create the best and the State of the art facilities how come the Football Field developed with around 5 crore did not meet the requirement (standard dimensions) for National level foot ball events. If lapses at any level are there the head of the department during the period and also the technocrats need to be taken to task without administrative shielding.
Concrete surfaces of Hand ball and Basket ball courts :
The concrete or hard surfaces of both the games are not technically right with the point of View of organising official events only but also are quite detrimental for the joints, muscles, body posture of the players as there is persistent fear of injuries in the minds of players and officials in the absence of wooden, grass or rubberized/polyurethane surfaces which were actually required.
Pool of Coaches:
To run the centres where huge infrastructure has been created there is need to create a pool of qualified and experienced coaches and also manpower for maintenance and watch and ward.
Huge amount spent on purchase of equipment , consumable and non consumable sports material for clubs , schools and coaching centres:
The utility, matching of the actual requirement on ground depending on the playing field facilities, available expertise and actual demands would ascertain the judicious spending of public money and resultant effect of the purchases made in the public interest during last three years.
Less height of Indoor complex:
There is a living example of laxity on planning and execution of Indoor Sports complex constructed few years back in Udhampur. No official V.Ball events are possible within the complex in the absence of required standard height of the ceiling.
Audit of legal cases :
Need has been felt when legal audit in the department of Youth Services is conducted under independent legal experts to know the reasons for the officials who are habitual of sitting on the files and stumbling block in implementation of judgements of the Hon’ble Court, ways and means of implementing Court judgements. Pin pointing the responsibilities in inordinate delay in processing of the cases and follow directions in letter and spirit would be appreciated in the public interest.
Practice of following cases by moving around the officers and officials:
It is expected that in the supersonic electronic era, the old practice of moving around the clerks, officers and bureaucrats to follow the cases mostly concerning DPCs, elevations, promotions at department level or at the level of Administrative Department and PSC would be curbed and justice or reply to the applicants communicated at the door step or their places of postings etc. We expect judicious and appropriate consideration.
Promotions of Lecturers as Sr. Lecturers and other officials:
Since from the date of appointments and placement of junior lecturers and I/C PEMs in Youth Services and Sports Departments no promotion and DPC did not materialise as the officials are supposed to be in the same position without any elevation and other benefits. It is expected to speed up the process not only for the above category of officers and officials but those who are working as District Youth Services and Sports Officers, Assistant Directors.
Agony:
Despite all out efforts there are lacunae in Planning, supervision designing and execution and definitely there is a need for retrospection and full justification with respect to abandoned central Pavilion, Turfing and improper height of the indoor sports hall of Udhampur.
In the year 1993-94 a youth hostel under central and state contribution was constructed in Udhampur preceded by commissioning of Sports Projected Development Area Project where under very outstanding and talented students and non students youth were admitted in the centre of sports excellence which aimed at producing sports persons and players of National and International calibre for which MOU between Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and J&K Youth Services and Sports Department was signed. Unfortunately few years back the Czentre was suddenly abandoned and shifted partly to Baramulla and Jammu by SAI without taking into confidence the public, administration and sports community which is definitely a cause of concern and agony. It is expected that the centre would be revived. Meanwhile the youth hostel on which more than 28 lacs have been spent by J&K Youth Services and Sports Department and also 25 lacs approximately by SAI and allotted to YSS Department to accommodate outstanding sports persons and Bharat Scouts and Guides association to run training courses and conduct District and State level programmes.
No DPC of officers and staff in Youth Services and Sports Department has been conducted since more than one decade. Out of 35 officers mostly DYSSOs, ADs and Deputy Directors only one officer was cleared on pick and choose basis and among others are retirees and in service senior officers eagerly waiting for expeditious clearance. The prompt action would definitely bring some relief to them.
Consolidation of Infrastructure developed under PYKA Scheme:
Under the said centrally sponsored scheme the Govt. of India with the collaboration of J&K Govt. spent crores of rupees towards promotion of Sports activity with special thrust on modern play fields all over the then state of J&K as per the recommendations of MLAs/MLCs. The department is required to have the audit of the playfields developed on the instance of the public representatives to know about the plight and output on which huge amount from the pockets of taxpayers and state exchequer has been incurred.
(The author is retired Dir. Sports, SMVDSB & Former Sr. Vice President SGFI)
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