New Delhi: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has dissolved the Bihar Olympic Association (BOA) for lack of governance, transparency, and administrative inefficiency. IOA president PT Usha has formed a five-member ad hoc committee led by Hockey India secretary general Bholanath Singh to take interim charge of BOA and conduct fresh elections by March 31.
This comes days after BOA had sent a legal notice to Usha for appointing a fact-finding commission to probe into complaints against BOA regarding its functioning and governance. Calling Usha’s action “unilateral and arbitrary,” BOA secretary Mushtaque Ahmad had said the decision was taken without giving them an opportunity to reply on the complaints.
On Wednesday, IOA president Usha announced an ad hoc panel to run BOA based on the recommendation of fact-finding commissioner Hemanta Kalita. “In view of the observations and recommendation of the fact-finding commission appointed for the Bihar Olympic Association, an ad hoc committee is being formed to look after the affairs of the BOA,” Usha said in an office order on Wednesday, a copy of which is with HT.
According to the order, fact-finding commissioner Kalita in his report raised concerns about the affiliation process of state sports federations undertaken by BOA, found no initiatives being taken to develop sports in the state, besides pointing to lack of transparency, communication and governance structure. Kalita, the Boxing Federation of India secretary general, visited Bihar and met various stakeholders.
The ad hoc panel, named by Usha, will be led by Bholanath Singh. The other members are Arun Kumar Ojha, Pankaj Kumar Jyoti, Sanjay Sinha and Arjuna awardee shooter Shreyasi Singh. The panel has been tasked with overseeing Bihar’s participation in upcoming National Games, affiliating various state sports associations, to ensure BOA constitution is in line with IOA constitution and conduct fresh elections of BOA executive committee by March 31.
Besides Bihar, one member fact-finding panels were also formed by Usha to probe alleged irregularities related to administration, and elections for Rajasthan and Telangana state Olympic associations. IOA vice-president Rajlaxmi Singh Deo had objected to Usha’s actions, saying the executive body was “not privy to the alleged complaints,” and none of the points were in the “agenda for discussion” in any of the executive committee meetings.
In case of Rajasthan, IOA recognised the election of Rajasthan State Olympic Association under Tejasvi Singh Gehlot as president, Surendra Singh Gurjar secretary general and Arun Kumar Saraswat as treasurer. The decision was taken after fact-finding commissioner for Rajasthan, Avjit Paul filed his report recommending the same. The report said the other group led by Anil Vyas “evaded to meet or co-operate with the commission,” according to IOA president Usha’s letter to Rajasthan body on Dec 31st.
