JOIN USSAI to rent out its stadia
Decisions ranging from forming a sub-committee to recommend methods for recruiting coaches to preparing a scheme for optimum utilisation of stadia were taken at the re-constituted Governing Body meeting of SAI, which met under the Chairmanship of Sports Minister Jitendra Singh here on Thursday.
The meeting was attended by Jiji Thomson (Director General of Sports Authority of India), P K Deb (Secretary Sports), Anjuly Chib Duggal, AS (Expenditure), Secretary General, Indian Olympic Association, President, FICCI, President, CII and eminent sportspersons and sports experts Zafar Iqbal, Bhaichung Bhutia, Karnam Malleshwari, Ashwini Nachappa, Viren Rasquinha, Malav Shroff, Boria Majumdar, Vidushpat Singhania, and Mustafa Ghouse.
A decision was taken to form a sub-committee headed by GSG Ayyangar (Joint Secretary in MYAS) and comprising Bhutia, Iqbal, Malleshwari, Shroff, Nachappa and LS Ranawat to recommend the eligibility criteria and methods of recruitment of coaches.
According to the Sports Ministry release, Thomson was directed to prepare a ‘Voluntary Retirement Scheme’ (VRS) for all employees of SAI including coaches and, a scheme for optimum utilisation of stadia and use it for non-sporting purposes to generate revenue during lean season, for promoting sports.
It was also decided to carry out an Energy Audit of the stadia and other buildings where power consumption is very high. The Ministry, ‘in-principle’ approved SAI’s proposal to seek the services of a consulting organisation for the restructuring of SAI to convert it into professional body for providing expert training to elite athletes.
Other decisions included accounting and financial reforms to be carried out in a time-bound manner and the entire work to be computerised, besides constituting a consultative committee of experts from sports field to advise Thomson on the policy initiatives to be undertaken in SAI.
The proposal to go for a Design, Build, Operate and Transfer (DBOT) route for setting up new training centres was also approved. “Under DBOT, the obligation of the concessionaire would be inter-alia, to investigate, study, design, construct, operate and maintain at its own cost and expense and transfer back the project as the case may be, in accordance with the provisions of the agreement, good industry practices and applicable laws,” the release stated.
A decision to support Army in raising three new Army Boys Sports Companies in Garhwal Rifles Regimental Centre, Lansdowne (Uttarkhand), Army Ordinance Corps Regimental Centre, Secunderabad (Andhra Pradesh) and Artillery Centre, Nasik (Maharashtra) was also taken in the meeting.