Guwahati, March 31: Assam has reconstituted the local organising committee (LOC) for the 33rd National Games, downsizing the 200-member panel to a 49-member one.

In an amendment to the earlier circulars, dated June 20, 2003, and January 27, 2005, the state government has issued a circular, (number SYW.67/2003/14 on March 6, 2006. The new committee has even excluded the chief minister?s adviser (sports), Robin Bordoloi, who has been heading all aspects of preparation for the mega event so far.

The chief minister now heads the committee as president, while the DoNER minister and all MPs from the state, including Union ministers, are its advisers.

The posts of vice-president have been allotted to ministers of state for health and family welfare, transport, finance, planning and development, public works department, panchayat and rural development, urban development and sports and youth welfare. The chief secretary, additional chief secretary for sports and youth welfare and chief-co-ordinator, National Games, the GOC of 4 Corps, director-general of police and general manager of NF Railway have also been assigned the posts of vice-president.

The Guwahati Municipal Corporation mayor has been named associate vice-president, while the two commissioners and secretary for the sports department are the secretaries general.

The only Assam Olympic Association office-bearer in the panel is general secretary Mukut Medhi as its organising secretary.

The director of sports is the joint secretary.

Arjuna awardees from the state, Bhogeswar Barua and Monalisa Baruah Mehta and two-time Olympian Dipankar Bhattacharjee were also dropped from the panel.

?The downsizing is justified because not a single National Games in its history has ever had such a huge LOC. Just ornamenting people with membership of the LOC, in turn, affects the smooth functioning of the committee adversely,? an official said.

The new panel has no technically qualified representative from the Indian Olympic Association, Sports Authority of India or the federations concerned.

Powerlifting

The Assam Powerlifting Association has named the state squad for the National Benchpress and Powerlifting Championship to be held in Haryana from April 6 to 9.

Durga Gogoi and Ananta Khanikar will accompany the team as officials.

The team: Sikhamoni Barkatoki, Mrinalini Saikia, Rosalin Ao, Barnali Devi, Champa Gogoi, Nilima Saikia, Gitanjali Mech, Chandrika Dey Dutta, Pranjal Pachani, Debojit Hazarika, Kunjan Duara and Inamul Haq.