11 yrs on, Chandigarh Sports Council House yet to meet

Deepankar Sharda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 26

It’s been over 11 years since the general House of the Chandigarh Sports Council (CSC) held a meeting. If a reply to an RTI is to be believed, the CSC general House had last met on June 21, 2010. The information has been provided by the CSC.

The CSC general House, which is one of the main components of the UT Sports Department’s functioning, is appointed for a three-year term.

Besides ex-officio members, who include vice-president (Secretary Sports, Chandigarh Administration), secretary (Director, Sports, Chandigarh Administration), joint secretary (Joint Director Sports, Chandigarh Administration) and AC (F&A), the Adviser to the Administrator, who is also president of the CSC, has this year nominated UT Member Parliament and her sister, two journalists, former international golfer and hockey player and office-bearers of different sports associations’ as members of the general House of sports council for a period of three years. However, no meeting was held of previous houses, since 2010, if the RTI’s reply is to be believed.

The CSC is stated to be a registered society under the Societies Act, created by the UT Administration, to complement sports development programmes of the UT Sports Department. The main objective of the CSC is to provide financial assistance to recognised local sports associations. The sports council itself organises national/international matches on its own. It also extends cash awards to local sportspersons, who bring laurels for the City Beautiful in national/international meets.

“There is a gap of 11 years since the last meeting of the CSC, which is stated to be held on June 21, 2010, at the conference room of Adviser to the Administrator,” said a senior official.

The meeting was headed by then Adviser Pradip Mehra along with other members. Various issues, including opening of regular membership and health spa facilities at the Lake Sports Complex, enhancing cash awards for local players, enhancement of DA/refreshments of trainees and others, were discussed at the meeting. Notably, state-run hockey/football and cricket academies also run under the CSC.

“The CSC House should meet at least once a year to discuss development of sports in UT. The main function of the CSC is to control academies, introduce courses for coaches and run schemes on behalf of the Sports Department,” said an official.