ID :
204512
Wed, 08/31/2011 - 00:29
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/204512
The shortlink copeid
Cabinet fails to clear National Sports Bill
New Delhi, Aug 30 (PTI) The controversial Sports Bill,
apparently aimed at reining in Sports Federations and possibly
have a government grip over Board of Control for Cricket in
India (BCCI), failed to get Cabinet nod Tuesday with a number
of Ministers heading sports bodies strongly said to be opposed
to it.
At the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh, the National Sports Development Bill, steered by new
Sports Minister Ajay Maken, was discussed and a number of
ministers raised objections, sources said.
Subsequently, it was decided that the bill should be
re-worked by the Sports Ministry before it could be again
considered.
The opposition to the bill came mainly on issues like
preserving the autonomy of sports bodies and the age
restriction on sports administrators.
Sharad Pawar, former BCCI Chief and the current ICC
President, Farooq Abdullah president of the Jammu and Kashmir
Cricket Association, C P Joshi, President of Rajasthan Cricket
Association, Vilasrao Deshmukh, president of the Mumbai
Cricket Association were among those who expressed opposition
to the bill.
Besides these Ministers, Praful Patel, who is the chief
of the All India Football Federation, Kapil Sibal and Kamal
Nath were opposed to the bill. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
and Home Minister P Chidambaram were said to be in favour of
the bill.
The bill had sought to bring in revolutionary changes in
the functioning of sports bodies in the country, which
included putting an age limit of 70 years and tenure
restrictions besides bringing these bodies under RTI.Pawar, the former BCCI chief and currently ICC President,
led the opposition contending that age should not be any
factor for decising as to who should head sports bodies.
"What are we doing here if 70 plus rule is going to be
applied. All those who are above 70 in this room should not be
there" Pawar is said to have told the meeting.
Pawar also said that he would take up the matter with
United Progressive Alliance(UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi if
the bill is passed with the current provisions. He also said
Indian cricketers would be subjected to WADA provisions if the
bill is cleared.
Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal contended that it was not
the right time politically to introduce the bill in
Parliament.
Surface Transport Minister C P Joshi said he favoured
guidelines instead of a law as is the practice in the United
Kingdom.
Farooq Abdullah raised the issue of age restriction in
the bill. "I am 73 plus but I can do so many things which
younger people cannot do" he is said to have remarked.
The bill had sought to bring in revolutionary changes in
the functioning of sports bodies in the country, which
included putting an age limit of 70 years and tenure
restrictions besides bringing these bodies under RTI. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and several other
National Sports Federations had vehemently opposed the bill
ever since the drafting stage, saying it was an attempt to
interfere in the functioning of the bodies.
The IOA had also said that the move was against the
Olympic charter and India could be banned from international
sports events if the government tried to curb their autonomy.
Cricket administrators had also reacted sharply to the
proposed bill which sought to put it under the purview of the
RTI.
The bill, had it been cleared by the Cabinet today, would
have been introduced in the Parliament in the ongoing monsoon
session itself and could have had a bearing on the tenures of
several seasoned adminstrators like Suresh Kalmadi, V K
Malhotra, Yashwant Sinha, Jagdish Tytler and Virendra Nanavati
who have been at the helm of their respective federations for
decades.
It could also have brought the cash-rich BCCI under its
fold though cricket adminstrators maintained that it would not
be binding on the Board which does not take any grant from the
government.
The Sports Ministry will now fine-tune the bill and take
into consideration the objections raised by the ministers,
which means that it may not be possible in the ongoing session
of Parliament.
Sports Minister Maken had yesterday said that the Bill
once passed in the Parliament would bring in more
accountability in the functioning of the NSFs.
apparently aimed at reining in Sports Federations and possibly
have a government grip over Board of Control for Cricket in
India (BCCI), failed to get Cabinet nod Tuesday with a number
of Ministers heading sports bodies strongly said to be opposed
to it.
At the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh, the National Sports Development Bill, steered by new
Sports Minister Ajay Maken, was discussed and a number of
ministers raised objections, sources said.
Subsequently, it was decided that the bill should be
re-worked by the Sports Ministry before it could be again
considered.
The opposition to the bill came mainly on issues like
preserving the autonomy of sports bodies and the age
restriction on sports administrators.
Sharad Pawar, former BCCI Chief and the current ICC
President, Farooq Abdullah president of the Jammu and Kashmir
Cricket Association, C P Joshi, President of Rajasthan Cricket
Association, Vilasrao Deshmukh, president of the Mumbai
Cricket Association were among those who expressed opposition
to the bill.
Besides these Ministers, Praful Patel, who is the chief
of the All India Football Federation, Kapil Sibal and Kamal
Nath were opposed to the bill. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
and Home Minister P Chidambaram were said to be in favour of
the bill.
The bill had sought to bring in revolutionary changes in
the functioning of sports bodies in the country, which
included putting an age limit of 70 years and tenure
restrictions besides bringing these bodies under RTI.Pawar, the former BCCI chief and currently ICC President,
led the opposition contending that age should not be any
factor for decising as to who should head sports bodies.
"What are we doing here if 70 plus rule is going to be
applied. All those who are above 70 in this room should not be
there" Pawar is said to have told the meeting.
Pawar also said that he would take up the matter with
United Progressive Alliance(UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi if
the bill is passed with the current provisions. He also said
Indian cricketers would be subjected to WADA provisions if the
bill is cleared.
Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal contended that it was not
the right time politically to introduce the bill in
Parliament.
Surface Transport Minister C P Joshi said he favoured
guidelines instead of a law as is the practice in the United
Kingdom.
Farooq Abdullah raised the issue of age restriction in
the bill. "I am 73 plus but I can do so many things which
younger people cannot do" he is said to have remarked.
The bill had sought to bring in revolutionary changes in
the functioning of sports bodies in the country, which
included putting an age limit of 70 years and tenure
restrictions besides bringing these bodies under RTI. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and several other
National Sports Federations had vehemently opposed the bill
ever since the drafting stage, saying it was an attempt to
interfere in the functioning of the bodies.
The IOA had also said that the move was against the
Olympic charter and India could be banned from international
sports events if the government tried to curb their autonomy.
Cricket administrators had also reacted sharply to the
proposed bill which sought to put it under the purview of the
RTI.
The bill, had it been cleared by the Cabinet today, would
have been introduced in the Parliament in the ongoing monsoon
session itself and could have had a bearing on the tenures of
several seasoned adminstrators like Suresh Kalmadi, V K
Malhotra, Yashwant Sinha, Jagdish Tytler and Virendra Nanavati
who have been at the helm of their respective federations for
decades.
It could also have brought the cash-rich BCCI under its
fold though cricket adminstrators maintained that it would not
be binding on the Board which does not take any grant from the
government.
The Sports Ministry will now fine-tune the bill and take
into consideration the objections raised by the ministers,
which means that it may not be possible in the ongoing session
of Parliament.
Sports Minister Maken had yesterday said that the Bill
once passed in the Parliament would bring in more
accountability in the functioning of the NSFs.
