Month on, Chandigarh Sports Department sans District Sports Officer

Deepankar Sharda

Chandigarh, February 2

Even after a month, the UT Sports Department is yet to appoint a District Sports Officer (DSO). Blame it on the policies of the Administration or ignorance of officials, no coach in the UT Sports Department is allegedly eligible for the post amid unclear rules.

After the retirement of Ravinder Singh Laddi on November 30, 2020, the department failed to find a regular DSO. The former DSO, judo coach Krishan Lal, retired on December 31, 2021. He was appointed to the post on an ‘additional charge’.

The UT Sports Department follows Rule 8 (i) of the Punjab State Sports Rules, 1993, which allows only those having experience of seven years as coach/senior coach to get promoted as the DSO. No coach in the department fulfils the criteria amid no-promotion policy.

“We have to follow the rules. We are trying to amend rules in the new Sports Policy. As per the existing rule, no coach is eligible for talking over the charge. We tried giving additional charge of the DSO to a senior most coach in the list, but the offer was rejected. Nevertheless, we are in the process and a suitable person will be appointed soon,” said a highly placed official seeking anonymity.

He said: “We will try to give additional charge to some competent person till the time we bring this matter under the new Sports Policy”.

Coaches, meanwhile, fear that the post of the DSO does not also get converted under the deputation process. Two main posts — Director, Sports, and Joint Director, Sports, — are already filled on a deputation (from other states or cadre) basis.

“This is a complete failure of the UT Administration. The department has been ignored on all fronts. From police to Administration, various posts were created and increased as per the requirement. Several officials were appointed and local employees were promoted. However, the UT Sports Department still follows the same old rules. In the past two years, the department had faced problems in appointing officials at key posts. If the post of the DSO also gets filled on a deputation basis, no coach will ever get a chance to get promotion. We have such cases where coaches have served for three decades and retired as junior coaches. There was no vision to overcome such problems,” said a senior coach. In August last year, the department got the new Joint Director, Sports, after a wait of over 20 months.

No coach in dept fulfils criteria

The UT Sports Department follows Rule 8 (i) of the Punjab State Sports Rules, 1993, which allows only those having experience of seven years as coach/senior coach to get promoted as the DSO. No coach in the department fulfils the criteria amid no-promotion policy.