DNA: New Delhi: Wednesday, October 02, 2013.
Union sports
minister Jitendra Singh offers a straight bat on the issue of bringing the
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) under the ambit of the Right to
Information (RTI) Act. In an exclusive interview to dna, Singh said the
proposed New Sports Bill 2013, which will be brought before the cabinet soon,
will not keep BCCI out of the RTI ambit.
“I cannot
give you a time frame, but can only say that all sports federations will be
brought under the RTI ambit. The BCCI will certainly not be an exception for
sure,” Singh said. “Look, the BCCI will certainly have to come under RTI, but
that will only happen when the New Sports Bill 2013 will come into effect.”
Clarifying
that the government was not helpless when it came to the BCCI, the sports
minister said since the RTI issue is under a stay from the Madras high court,
it is only logical to wait till the stay is vacated before acting on such
contentious issues. He said the ministry has received suggestions from all
stakeholders on the New Sports Bill and has given two weeks to his staff to
list them.
“As soon as
we finalise the draft, we will take the law ministry’s approval and place it
before the cabinet,” Singh told dna.
The BCCI does
not take any grant from the government and therefore, the sports ministry has
no control over it. It cannot take any action against the cash-rich association
either.
Singh,
however, has been keeping an eye on the recent imbroglio in the BCCI where its
president N Srinivasan is being questioned over his son-in-law G Meiyappan’s
involvement in betting in the IPL. The Supreme Court, too, recently observed
that there was something seriously wrong with BCCI.
Singh said
it’d be appropriate to wait for the court’s decision on BCCI. “The matter is
subjudice and I don’t think I can voice my concerns before the judgment is out.
However, there is no doubt that the current mismanagement and charges of
corruption and nepotism has shamed not just the cricket body but also sports
and its management in the country,” he said.
Measures to
cleanse the sport are on the offing. Singh said his ministry has already given
suggestions on the bill related to betting and match-fixing. “The law ministry
should bring it before the cabinet soon,” he said.
Sachin
Tendulkar’s visionary document to integrate sports into the education system
has already been included in two schemes.
“His first
suggestion is coming before the cabinet and the second has been implemented in
the district schools scheme. Both his suggestions have been implemented,” Singh
said.
On the
deadlock between IOA and IOC, Singh said he’s hopeful that the impasse will end
soon and India will be part of the Olympics again. The IOC has given IOA time
till November to sort out the issue. “Why should our sportspersons suffer
because of their federation’s fault? Despite the IOA’s suspension, we have made
sure that our athletes get all the facilities from training to getting
foreign coaches...”
The
International Boxing Federation has given a November deadline to the Indian
Boxing Federation (IBF) to hold its elections as per the new guidelines failing
which Indian boxers will not be able to participate in global events. Singh
thinks the federation will elect its president before that. “That is why the
sports ministry suspended the IBF. We hope this matter will be settled now.”
Welcoming the
decision of sportspersons like Krishna Poonia and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore to
contest elections next year, Singh said: “I think we should have people from
all walks of life... We need all the skills in Parliament. It’s a good thing. I
am also a sportsperson have contested an election.
Accountability;
All sports
federations will come under RTI once the New Sports Bill comes into effect,
said sports minister Jitendra Singh
The minister
says it is appropriate to wait for the Madras high court stay on the RTI issue
to be vacated before acting on contentious issues.
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