Come under RTI or no Arjuna award: Is that what ministry wants to convey to BCCI ?

Daily Bhaskar: New Delhi: Friday, June 08, 2012.

Unlike in the past, the sports ministry did not send the proforma applications and circular seeking names for Arjuna, and other important awards from the BCCI, reflecting the cold war that is raging between the two sides.

The ensuing result was that cricketers and cricket coaches do not figure in the list of nominees for the Arjuna or Droancharya award for the year 2011.

All sports federations, except the Board of Control for Cricket in India, have sent their entries for the prestigious awards.

This BCCI’s move is going to hit women cricketers the most, as they are not well paid and recognised unlike their male counterparts. Former captain Jhulan Goswami was the last woman cricketer to win the Arjuna Award.

The BCCI's claims that it has not received any circular or proforma applications from the government has been vindicated as the notice sent by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports does not mention BCCI.

The circular dated January 23, 2012 and Circular No.4-2/2012-SP-IV states that the application format of the awards was sent to all the president and secretaries general of all the National Sports Federations (NSFs).

The BCCI is not an NSF in the list of sports ministry and that is specifically the reason why the cricket body never received the government circular.

However, BCCI CAO Ratnakar Shetty points out that they have always received the proforma and circular throughout the past decade despite not being an NSF body.

Observers believe that ministry's attempt to bring BCCI under the RTI and country's richest sporting body's reluctance to do so has been primary reason for this classic case of miscommunication.

While on the other hand, On Thursday, the Union sports ministry lashed out at Indian cricket board's claim that government hadn't sent official forms for nominating cricketers for this year's Arjuna and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awards. The controversy erupted during the past few days with the Board confirming that it hadn't nominated any cricketer for this year's national sports awards as they have not received any circular from the competent authorities.

"These were duly despatched to all these organizations including the BCCI. The same was also placed on the website of the ministry. This is the procedure which is followed every year and the same was done this year too. All federations are well aware of it," Rahul Bhatnagar, joint secretary in the ministry, said in a statement.

All sports federations, except the Board of Control for Cricket in India, have sent their entries for the prestigious awards.

This BCCI’s move is going to hit women cricketers the most, as they are not well paid and recognised unlike their male counterparts. Former captain Jhulan Goswami was the last woman cricketer to win the Arjuna Award.