BHUBANESWAR 20-Mar-2010 114
Avoiding elections in order to stay in power unlawfully has become a matter of right for officials of sports bodies in Orissa. One such body is the Orissa State Carrom Association (OSCA), which has been avoiding election since September 2008. State carrom fraternity is holding OSCA secretary Sriranjan Mohanty solely responsible for this negligence.
‘‘He is not convening the council meeting and not submitting the accounts. State and inter-district championships have not been conducted for the past two years. Selection of players for National championships is not done in a free and fair manner,’’ alleges former working president Rama Narayan Patnaik, who resigned from his post in 2006 due to old-age.
In the absence of election, the state government is not providing annual grant for the past two years. Players are remaining idle due to non-conduct of official domestic tournaments. Once a popular fringe-sport, carrom has become stagnant due irregularities in the state body. And it is pity that irregularities are occuring despite State Finance Minister Prafulla Ghadei being its president.
Unhappy with the functioning of the OSCA secretary, other office-bearers, members and leading players have sought All India Carrom Federation’s intervention in the matter by sending two representations. But the National body has not taken any noticeable remedial measure so far. When contacted over telephone, AICF secretary general S K Sharma took the issue lightly saying that the National body was taking proper care of the game in Orissa. Also the secretary general of International Carrom Federation, Sharma refused to comment further on the matter and wanted not to be disturbed.
OSCA secretary Mohanty cites personal problems and lack of support from other office-bearers as the reasons for delay in conducting elections. ‘‘I was mentally shattered after the death of four members of my family in recent times. Accounts of the association also could not be finalised due absence of the cashier,’’ he explains. He further clarifies that he was too busy with his personal work and lamented that other office-bearers were not cooperating in the management of OSCA affairs. He claimed that despite non-cooperation, domestic tournaments were being conducted regularly. Mohanty, however, promised to conduct the election by the end of April.
FACT FILE:
- OSCA was formed in the year 1991.
- The four-year term of the current office-bearers ended on September 11, 2008.
- Election was last held on Sept 12, 2004.
- General body meeting was last conducted in September 2004.
- Accounts to be submitted for the period 2004-05 to 2008-09.
