Bharat Narah: Best foot forward

Guwahati, Aug. 9: Sports minister Bharat Chandra Narah’s initiative to make the proposed Sports Authority of Assam (SAA) functional has run into procedural hurdles.

Though the minister and the department are working sincerely, a source said when the proposal was placed before chief minister Tarun Gogoi for his final approval, he advised that the National Games Secretariat be wound up first.

The shutting down of National Games Secretariat, which was supposed to be closed down six months after the 33rd National Games held here in February 2007, will involve a serpentine procedure. It owes over Rs 10 crore to the infrastructure development consultant, STUP Consultants and construction company, Larsen & Toubro Ltd, against additional constructions claims.

A source in the secretariat said since the payment of the dues involved approvals from at least five departments — law, public works department, planning and development, sports and youth welfare and finance — it would take some time before the final payments are made.

The source, however, said auditing has been completed and the comptroller general’s stamp of approval was being awaited. “The remaining procedural hurdles can also be overcome if a little more effort is given,” he said.

Another factor acting as a hurdle is the merger of the Board of Sports of Assam and the State Sports Council into the Sports Authority of Assam. “Since the Board of Sports of Assam was constituted under an act adopted by the state Assembly, its dissolution would involve repeal of the act ,” the source said.

The BSA has at least 50 employees who would have to be suitably accommodated in the proposed sports authority, the source added.

Apart from accommodating the existing sports department officials and others on deputation, the source said new staff must be recruited, which in itself is a time-consuming affair.

Narah said the chief minister has raised a corpus fund with contribution from the corporate sector for the proposed Sports Authority of Assam, which is supposed to look after the infrastructure developed for the National Games.

The merger of the Board of Sports of Assam and the State Sports Council into it would mean additional responsibilities of looking after other infrastructure like the RG Baruah Sports Complex, the Jorhat Stadium among others as well as promoting sport in the state.

The new infrastructure created for the National Games have been lying almost unused for nearly two-and-a-half years after the mega event.