Citing CAG audit, IOA chief Usha issues show cause notice to treasurer
In a move that has sent shockwaves amongst the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) powerbrokers, president PT Usha has sent a show cause notice to treasurer Sahdev Yadav.
The show cause is for trying to write off a sum of Rs 1.75 crore, paid by the 2010 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee for the fine imposed on the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) by the International Weightlifting Federation for a succession of doping offences by Indian lifters.
While the money paid by the organisers ensured that weightlifting stayed on the 2010 CWG programme, the said amount was to be paid back to the IOA by the IWLF as it was deducted by the organisers from the IOA’s kitty.
Despite several reminders from the previous treasurer, Anandeshwar Panday, the money was not repaid by the IWLF. “…It is requested that the payment of Rs 1.75 crore deducted by the OC CWG 2010 from the dues of IOA may be returned to IOA immediately along with simple interest,” Panday had written to the IWLF on January 19, 2021.
Citing a recent Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit, Usha in her letter said Yadav failed in his fiduciary duty despite being a sitting member of the IWLF since 2009 and a member of the IOA’s finance committee since 2017.
“These amounts are legitimate dues owed to the IOA and cannot be written off by any stretch of imagination by committees or commissions. These will have to be thoroughly investigated by the appropriate authorities,” Usha wrote in the show cause letter.
“Further you have misused your dual capacity in the IOA and IWLF, under article 15.1 of the constitution of the IOA as the president having superintendence over the office bearers of the IOA and members of the commissions, I am serving you a show cause notice as to why you should not be recommended for any disciplinary action before the appropriate IOC & IOA body for clear breach of its rules and financial mismanagement,” the letter adds.
The letter has also been marked to Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Jerome Poivey, who is the associate director in the NOC Relations Department of the IOC.
Yadav denied receiving any such letter. “Does the president have the authority to issue such notice? Anyway, I have not received any such letter and I will respond to it when I see one,” Yadav told The Tribune on Wednesday.
As per the notice, Yadav has been given till September 24 to send his explanation.
Five EC members on notice
Additionally, Yadav is amongst five executive committee members who have also been sent a notice over a complaint regarding their ineligibility to hold positions within the IOA as they are in violation of the sports code and the Delhi High Court directions.
The complainant, whose identity has been concealed, has claimed that senior vice-president Ajay Patel (shooting federation), treasurer Yadav (IWLF), vice-president Rajlaxmi Singh Deo (rowing federation) and EC member Bhupinder Singh Bajwa (wushu body) cannot stand for elections as they have completed their full terms while being a member of the executive of their national federations.
Patel has been with the NRAI since 2006, Yadav has completed 15 years with the IWLF, Bajwa has been with the WAI for 17 years, while Deo the rowing body chief for 12 years.
Alaknanda Ashok is the fifth member of the EC who has been sent the notice. Alaknanda, as per the complainant, cannot hold office because she failed to furnish a No Objection Certificate (NOC), a prerequisite for government employees to continue in office. They have been asked to respond by September 24.
