JOIN USRealising that the Centre can navigate the country's sports policies and programmes through the national sports federations even if sports was listed as the 'state subject' in the Constitution, the government Government today withdrew the Constitution (61st amendment) Bill, 1988 from the Rajya Sabha.
Sports Minister M S Gill said, "I personally do not agree we have to go on amending it (the Constitution) to cover our .... shortcomings and failures." He said his "common sense" convinced him that this amendment was not required.
The House approved the withdrawal of the bill.
Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley said it was Government's erroneous impression that the central government had no power to look after sports, whereas it could have done so without transferring the subject from the State to Concurrent list.
"Why is the confusion continuing" for last 21 years, Jaitley asked.
Rajiv Shukla (Congress) said everybody used to believe that states have all the rights regarding sports but when he examined the bill he found no amendment was required.
The Bill for the Constitutional Amendment was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on November 24, 1988 by the then Minister P Shivshankar.