25 range members to be part of golf association, guidelines soon
At loggerheads with the UT Administration over payment of dues, the Chandigarh Golf Association (CGA) has got an approval from the Registrar of Corporate Authorities for making amendments to its constitution. The association has decided to include 25 members of the Chandigarh Golf Range (CGR) into its executive body, consequently paving way for election of office-bearers for the first time since its inception.
Recently, the CGA management had decided to make amendments to the association’s constitution after many CGR members levelled allegations of keeping the power within a certain group. The CGR comes under its parent body, the CGA. As per the new amendment, 25 CGR members will be included in the CGA general body by the way of nominations or if the number of interested candidates exceed, elections will be held on the similar lines of the Chandigarh Golf Club (CGC).
The tenure of the current CGA management will be expiring in February 2025. The club has approximately 1,200 registered members and has not witnessed elections since 1997 — the year of its inception.
As per the new amendment, a notification will be issued to all permanent members and those willing to be part of the CGA will be allowed to enter the executive body.
“We have got the final approval for including 25 members of the CGR in the CGA general body. It will be open to all members. As explained earlier if there are only 25 member applicants, they will be elected directly and unanimously. However, if the number crosses the 250-mark, we will have to hold an election,” said SK Sharma, president, CGA.
Though the CGA management has announced the process, the guidelines to include willing members in the CGA are also being finalised. A proforma having all guidelines will be issued and is likely to be scrutinised before approving the nomination of a member.
“The CGA is working for the welfare and growth of the sport in the city. A member active in golf with a good sports administration background or has vast experience/expertise in promoting golf will be a perfect fit for the welfare of the sport. What good can a member — who is sitting abroad and never attended a single practice or golfing session — do to the sport? So, the executive body is finalising the guidelines and the members will be conveyed soon about this,” added Sharma.
Tenure of golf body management ends in February
The tenure of the current CGA management will be expiring in February 2025. The process for inclusion of 25 members will start by January 2025. It will be interesting to see if the members are chosen through voting — for the first time in the history of the range. Perhaps it will be the first sports body of the city to have an open election in which members are allowed to vote.
The general body will consist of all members, including the founder members. The governing body will be competent to induct new members to the general body from among the permanent members, subject to the fulfilment of criteria decided by the governing body.
The permanent members have to take ordinary membership of the association within 15 days of their induction to the general body, failing which the induction will be lapse. The tenure of the inducted members, as per clause (ii), will be of two years and they will be eligible to be elected in the executive committee of CGA.
Election in case there are over 250 applicants
If there are only 25 applicants, they will be elected directly. However, if the number crosses 250-mark, we will to hold an election. — SK Sharma, president, CGA
