M A I N   N E W S

Reservation eludes Haryana sportspersons
Geetanjali Gayatri/TNS

RAW Deal n September 2011: The government announces 3% reservation to sportspersons in all professional, technical institutes and universities n May 2012: Nine months on, the Sports Department has failed to get the policy notified by the General Administration Department n With the new session beginning in July, sportspersons may fail to avail the benefit of the reservation

Chandigarh, May 15
Even as sportspersons continue to be showered with recognition, cash awards and jobs for their achievements by the Haryana Government, a promise continues to be unfulfilled even a year after it was made — that of 3 per cent reservation in state technical and professional institutes and universities.

Sources said Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, an avid player himself, at a meeting last June, approved an elaborate policy circulated by the Department of Sports, announcing incentives to sportspersons and provision of sports infrastructure. The policy that came into effect from last September provided 3 per cent reservation to sportspersons in all professional, technical institutes and universities.

With the new session in institutes and universities slated to begin in July, feted sportspersons may not be able to secure any advantage of the announced reservation.

Though the idea was to provide sportspersons an edge through reservation not only to recognise their achievement but also compensate them for a lower percentage, applicants feel they may just not be able to avail the benefit owing to a “continual state of miscommunication” between the departments involved. This is because the Sports Department has failed to get its policy notified by the General Administration Department headed by the Haryana Chief Secretary.

Consequently, the Department of Education as also the Department of Technical Education are unable to extend the reservation benefit to applicants hopeful of securing a seat on account of their achievements in sports. Sources in the two departments said while such a decision is welcome and they have no problem in giving reservation to sportspersons, it is impossible to do so till the policy is notified by the department concerned.

“We cannot go by the policy provisions until these are duly notified. The Sports Department first needs to get the policy notified from the office of the Chief Secretary before expecting us to go ahead in implementing it,” an official said.

Meanwhile, the Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Sports, RP Chander, said the decision to give reservation to sportspersons had been approved by the Chief Minister. “We have directly written to the Education Department to extend this benefit to the sportspersons applying to various courses in the state. We are hopeful it will be done,” he said.